Got to Get Away
by Ushuaia1
Summary: The search for three runaways increases the strain on Kenny and Max's marriage, and old enemies return to worsen the situation. Sequel to "We Walk Alone".
1. Chapter 1

**Four Weeks Later:**

"You can't keep fighting it," Wambaugh said bluntly. "You signed the agreement."

Max gulped, as she gripped Kenny's hand under the table. We didn't think, how can this be happening? We can't send them back there. "He was supposed to be in jail for 25 years."

"He helped kill our kid," Kenny stated, squeezing her hand back. "I don't care what we signed, what technicality his lawyers thought up, Samantha and Nate are not going back to him. If you can't stop it, we'll find a lawyer who can."

"Another lawyer will tell you the same thing. Our injunction was rejected. You two have 24 hours to turn them over to their father."

"That isn't going to happen," Kenny said, as he stood. "Honey, lets go."

Numb, she thought, not letting go of his hand. Calm…This isn't happening. He's a murderer and…Caro wouldn't want this. "Okay."

"Max, we'll stop it," he promised, as they walked out to the jeep. "I promise you."

She nodded again, not knowing what to say. Michael released…technicality. We should of…how can they go back there? Infamous, in my next life I'm never leaving the house again. "I…What if we can't?"

"Where is the woman I married? The one that never gives up?"

She looked up at him, as he opened the car door for her. "I'm numb. Everything…it's been so hard."

"You want to give up? You want to send them back to a murderer? That is what is going to happen if we give up."

"Of course not."

"Then what?"

"I'm scared, okay? It isn't what Caro would want for them and…they're ours. I know it's crazy, our life is nuts, but they're ours."

"We'll stop it."

**1111111111111111111111111**

"They never told me he killed my cousin," Samantha said quietly. "How could Aunt Maxie not tell me? Nate isn't old enough, but…she doesn't need to protect me."

"She didn't want you to hate him," Zach tried. "He didn't kill Josh, he was…I guess involved."

"We're not going back, Zach. I'm going to take Nate and runaway if we can't stay."

"You can't."

"You have to help us."

**1111111111111111111111111**

"We have to tell them," Max said, as they sat and watched Emily chase Nate around the yard with her cast, as Lindsay laughed.

"They aren't going with him," Kenny said, watching as she rubbed her flat stomach gently. "Max, it isn't going to happen."

"We're out of motions, injunctions. What do you want to do? Kidnap them, runaway, fake our deaths? I hate this," she trailed off. "I don't…I can't…He's every bit as culpable as my Dad in this. A technicality. God."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and pulled her closer. "I'd rather do any of that, then send them back to a murderer."

Protective, she thought, take them and run? That isn't… "I know."

"You're not giving up."

She snuggled in closer to him. "We can't disappear, we can't ignore the court order…think about Lindsay and Emily. What would happen to them if…How do we do this?"

"You just want to let them go?"

"No, it's…I think about Caro and … Kenny, we…I never wanted them to know what their family did, I wanted to give them that. This isn't fair."

He laid his free hand on her flat stomach. Our baby, he thought, she's given me everything I've always wanted. The love of my life. "I know."

She gulped back her tears. "Kenny, I…what is he going to do to them?"

"We're not giving up."

She pressed her lips to his. Out of options. Be here for him, it's going to hurt, I need him in this. "Okay."

He scooped her closer. "Honey…we need…we need to tell them."

She nodded, watching the three in the yard together. "When Samantha gets home."

**1111111111111111111111111**

"Mom?" Zach said, walking hesitantly into the kitchen.

Jill looked up from where she was cooking dinner. "Did Samantha leave?"

He nodded, knowing she was a touchy subject. "Yeah. Is she going to have to go back to her Dad? She doesn't want to and…Kenny and Max want to keep them. I'm kind of scared to go back over there."

"I think you are the least of Kenny's worries right now," Jill sighed. "I don't know. They won't give up on it."

**111111111111111111111111**

"Why can you two make out and I get grounded?" Samantha pouted, as she sunk on the couch. "It isn't fair."

"Nothing about this is fair," Max said quietly, as she looked at her niece and nephew on the couch. Caro, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I can't fix this one. "Guys, we…I can't do this."

Kenny squeezed her hand tighter. We're not…Do it so she doesn't have to. "We met with Wambaugh again today."

"Are we going back to our Dad?" Samantha asked bluntly. "Is that what you're trying to say? I don't want to…Why didn't you tell us what he really did? He's a killer!"

"He's still your Dad," Max offered lamely. Just like that ass in jail is still mine. "The courts threw his conviction out, so legally it never happened and…I know, okay?"

"I don't want to go," Nate blurted out, wiping away his tears. "I want to stay here! With you guys, my friends, soccer and…Dad was mean!"

"He's a murderer," Samantha spat. "How can you send us back! We told the social worker everything! You just don't want us! You want your own kids, you left Aunt Maxie!"

Max gulped, wiping away a few tears of her own. "I know I did. We want you guys, I love you like you're ours. Emily and Lindsay…they love you too. This isn't fair, we didn't…there isn't anything else we can do."

"I hate you!" Samantha yelled, leaping up. "You don't love us! It's your fault our Mom died! I hate you! I wish Dad killed you too!"

"Samantha, stop," Nate sobbed, flinging himself at Max and clinging to her. "Don't make us leave!"

Max hugged him back, gulping back her tears. Not about me, it's about them…this isn't fair. All I want to do it throw myself in Kenny's arms and sob. Not this time, not again. "I don't want you to go."

Kenny watched his stricken and pregnant wife for a long moment. Strong, he thought, I have to be strong for her too.

Samantha sunk back on the couch and began to cry. "I don't want to go either."

**111111111111111111111**

"It isn't fair!" Zach cried, the next day. "How can they just take her away!"

"I know it isn't fair," Jimmy stated. "You know how hard…I'm sorry, Zach."

"I love her!"

**11111111111111111111**

"I don't want to go back," Nate sobbed, as he crawled into his sister's bed. "I want to stay with Aunt Maxie and Uncle Kenny."

"We can't stay," Samantha whispered. "They'll take us away."

"Dad really killed Josh? Did he kill Mom too?"

"Grandpa did. Dad helped. We can't go back there. Nate, listen to me. Zach and I have a plan."

**11111111111111111111**

"Honey?" Kenny said softly, wrapping his arms around her, as she stood in Emily's bedroom door. "You can see that cast in the dark."

She leaned back into him. "She kept telling me how you saved her when she broke it."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head, and inhaled the honey scent of her shampoo. "She was brave."

"I should have been her for it."

He squeezed her tighter. "You're here now. That's all that matters. Max, Honey, we can do this. We can get through this."

"Can they?"

"I'm not giving up."

Max gulped, turning to wrap her arms around him too. "Me either."

"We'll find a way."

**11111111111111111111111**

"Jimmy!" Jill practically screamed, rereading the note on the kitchen table. "Jimmy!"

"Jill? What is it?" he yawned.

"Read this! Zach! He ran away…with Samantha and Nate!"

**1111111111111111111111**

"This should be over," Max murmured, as she vomited. Sitting back on the floor, she laid her hand on her stomach. I love you already, she thought, and I promise that we'll give you a wonderful life. "You ready to cut this part out?"

"You okay?" Kenny asked, rapping on the door, as the doorbell rang. "Honey?"

"Give me a minute," she called, leaning back against the toilet. "I'm fine. Let me hop in the shower, and stuff."

Kenny glanced at the closed doors, as he jogged downstairs. Let them rest, it's going to be a long few days. Max…she'll be okay. Wrenching it open. "Hi."

"Don't hi me," Jimmy stated, as he led Jill into the house. "What the hell is going on?"

"What?" Kenny asked. "What's going on is Max is puking her guts out, Emily keeps conking people on the head with her cast, and we're out of options and injunctions and have less then 12 hours to turn them over. So what do you want to know?

"They're here?" Jimmy said, pushing past him. "You're sure."

"We're letting them sleep in," Kenny trailed off. "What…what's going on?"

"What's going on? What's going on?" Jimmy started. "Go upstairs! They ran off! Samantha, Nate, and Zach went with them!"

Kenny stepped back, feeling his stomach drop to his knees. "What?"

"My son ran off with your niece and nephew!"

"What?" he repeated, hearing Max puttering around upstairs. "This is…what?"

"Read it," Jimmy said, handing him the note. "Zach cleaned out our checking account."

Son of a bitch, Kenny thought, they ran.

_Mom and Dad._

_Don't be mad, but I had to do this. I love Samantha and I don't want to be without her. We're not going to let her Dad take her away. Don't worry, I'll take care of both of them. We'll be okay. I love you._

_Zach _

**11111111111111111111111**

"They won't know what to think," Zach promised, as they rode the train. "They won't find any of us."

Samantha snuggled up closer to him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for this."

"Where are we going?" Nate asked, as he looked at the scenery that was passing by. "What about…everyone will try to find us."

"We won't let them."

**1111111111111111111111**

"This is," Max stammered. "What?"

Kenny handed her the note. "Read it."

_Aunt Maxie and Uncle Kenny._

_We're not going back to Dad. We know what he did, and we know you did everything you could to keep us. We'll be okay, don't be mad. I can take care of Nate, and you can go back to your lives. Thank you for giving us a home._

_Samantha_

"This isn't happening," Max said, looking up at her husband. "How could…We have to find them."

"We will," he promised, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.

Max looked over at her daughters, engrossed in their coloring. "How could they…We should of thought…We have to find them."

"Both of you, we're going to the station," Jimmy said, watching them. "I'm calling in every favor I have. Jill, you should go home in case Zach comes to his senses. I'm sick of this with you, Max. Get your ass in gear and get to work. Whatever your issues are, get over them. You both have a job to do."

Max stepped back. "What?"

"My son ran off with your niece! You are damn well going to help find them!"

Max gulped, feeling Kenny tense up next to her. "Let me a call sitter."


	2. Chapter 2

"You," Jimmy said, looking at Max. "I want a list of anyplace they may go. Your family has more money then this entire town. Samantha and Nate traveled all over the world, get writing. Don't give me that crap about not working for me anymore.

Max bit her lip, as he all but threw a pad of paper at her in his office. "Jimmy."

"I don't want to hear it, Max!" he practically shouted. "Just do it."

She stepped back, clamping down on her own pain and loss. Where are they? Are they hungry? Cold? Hurt? No, do this, help find them. This is what I wanted, right? To work? Not like this. "Okay."

**2222222222222222**

"Wow," Nate said, as they walked down the hotel hallway. "Are we going to stay here?"

Samantha nodded, as Zach unlocked the hotel room door. "For now. We should keep moving for awhile…People are going to be looking for us."

"I should call my parents and let them know we're okay," Zach trailed off. "Tell them to let us go."

"Do you really think they'll do that?" Samantha asked. "They'll never stop looking for us. I don't want to go back…my Aunt and Uncle are cool, but I don't want to go back to my Dad."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "We're not going back. I'm almost 18, you're 16...I have an idea. Sh, just listen."

**22222222222222222**

"They found his car at the Greenbay airport," Kenny said, feeling Jimmy's anger and frustration coming off him in waves. "But there is video of them hopping in a bus, into town, and not going into the airport."

"They wanted us to think," Jimmy started, as he watched the video play out on his computer. "Damn it, Zach."

Max is going to lose it, Kenny thought, I have to find them for her. Glancing toward Jimmy's office, he shouldn't of dragged her down here. This is our family, our life. God, I've known Zach since he was four. "The bus was into town, they could of picked up any transfer, to anywhere."

"Anywhere isn't good enough. Anyplace they mentioned?" Jimmy pressed. "Those kids traveled all over the world before they came here. Where would they go? Where did they talk about? What the hell is taking your wife so long?"

She shouldn't be here, Kenny thought, catching sight of her through the glass in a long sleeve green t-shirt, jeans, and her long hair pulled back. So far removed from all of this, no, she was instrumental in catching Ann…this is who she is. Damn it. "It's a long list. Her parents had a lot of properties."

"Max!" Jimmy called, pushing his office door open. "Where is it? Hurry up."

She looked up, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand and not the fact that Lindsay clung to her when she left with Kenny. "You know I don't work for you?"

"I never put your paperwork through. Technically you're still on leave."

"What?" she asked, staring at him like he lost his mind. Looking over at Kenny. "Did you know that?"

He shook his head, watching her for a long moment. "What?"

"I can't deal with that right now," she replied, her mind racing a mile a minute. "If. this helps, great…We need to find them, that's all the matters now. Kenny, I called Wambaugh…Michael's attorneys need to know."

He looked at the clock, before back to her. "Times up."

She gulped, fighting the urge to throw herself in Kenny's arms and not let go. Seeing the way Jimmy was looking at her, she decided against it. "Yeah."

"You should go," Kenny said, seeing the tension on her face. "In case she calls or something."

"You're not going anywhere. Consider yourself off leave," Jimmy stated. "Max, I am not kidding."

She gulped at that, as everything threatened to overwhelm her. "Jimmy, I…Damn it. What do you want from me?"

"I want to find my son."

No one has them, they're safe together, she thought, it isn't like with Josh. We'll find them, I can't…Focus.

**22222222222222222222**

Samantha giggled, as she combed through her shorn and blue hair. "I love it."

"You look crazy," Zach laughed. "I wouldn't recognize you."

"I don't want people to recognize me," she stated, staring at her reflection. "What do you think, Nate?"

He yawned. "You look like smurf."

"You guys are next."

**222222222222222222222**

"Ran off because they didn't want to go back to their Dad?" Skeeter said. "Damn. And he never officially put Max's paperwork through? Why is he screaming at her?"

Kenny looked back toward Jimmy's office, where he was still berating Max. My pregnant, emotionally fragile, wife, who I'm afraid might bolt again. She can handle it, she's stronger then I've given her credit for lately, I could punch him for treating her like this. "A lot of things. Come on, lets look at the tapes."

**222222222222222222222**

"What do you want from me?" Max asked. "I want to find them too…Will you stop yelling at me?"

"They ran away, Max!" Jimmy shouted, his rage boiling over at her. "You're going to sit at home and do nothing? Where do you think they got the idea?"

She gulped, thinking of her own flight a month ago. Did they…damn it. I'm trying so hard to be a good mom, and…he needs to stop screaming at me. "I'm worried too, okay? I don't think I can do this again…and I know Kenny can't. Samantha thinks she knows everything, but in reality? She was sheltered, Caro protected her and Nate from everything. I'm terrified they're lying dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Zach wouldn't of done this before he met her! He had sex with her on your table!"

I'm surprised Kenny didn't kill him, she thought, I'm really worried for when our girls are older, he's going to be on the porch with a shotgun. "Oh, I know."

"And you're okay with that?"

"I'd prefer if they didn't use the table. Oh, come on, they're teenagers, what do you expect? Not this. Sex, yeah, runaway no…this shouldn't be happening."

"Go," Jimmy said finally. "You're on the clock."

Max gulped, her emotions rushing through her. Missing, I can't do this again…Josh, it happens in an instant. Kenny, he can't…this is…he can't do this. It'll destroy him if…he doesn't need me doing this to me too. No, I can…I hate this.

"Max?" he pushed, watching her for a long moment. "What?"

She looked up, forcing herself to focus. Missing. I've lived it. I want to hold Lindsay and Emily and never let them go. God, what has happened to me? Find them. That's all that matters…everything else we can deal with later. "What do you want me to do?"

The mom, Jimmy thought, looking at her. Kenny's wife. "Go home, Max."

"What?"

"Go home," he said again. "I mean it. Go be with your kids."

"What?" she repeated. "You drag me down here, yell at me…They're missing, they ran, can we focus on that please?"

**22222222222222222**

"How is she holding up?" Skeeter asked. "How are you?"

"Max is…she shouldn't have to go through this again. She's pregnant."

"What? Really?" Skeeter asked. "Congratulations. She looks good."

She bailed on me, us, when she found out, now this? I don't know what's going on with her. I love her, I need to do this for her. "She always looks good."

"Hey," Skeeter said, giving her a grin. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"What?" Max asked. "For what?"

"I hear you're having a baby," Skeeter said. "Congrats, Mom. You're putting ideas in Linda's head."

She glanced over at Kenny. "Oh, yeah. That. Thanks."

Which she doesn't really want, Kenny thought, watching her stroke her stomach softly. If she ever really wanted any of it. "You done getting yelled at in there?"

"I'm going to get out of here," she said, her mind going a mile minute. "Don't worry about me. Kenny, go find them okay? I'm okay."

You're not okay, he thought, I'm not okay. She's up to something, I see it in her eyes. Find them, bring them home…and then fix whatever this is with us. I don't want to lose her. "Max, we'll find them."

She nodded, wanting to burst into tears. Ignoring all the people around, she wrapped her arms around him. "I know. Call me later? I love you."

He squeezed her back, a little taken back by her burst of affection. She hasn't, we haven't…I love her. "Every hour if you want. I love you too, Honey."

**2222222222222222222222222**

"You kept your phone?" Zach asked. "We have to get rid of those."

Samantha looked up, running her fingers through her blue hair. "It's off."

"You really don't think my parents and your Aunt and Uncle don't know about phone GPS?"

**2222222222222222222222**

"No videos at the bus or train station in Greenbay," Kenny stated.

"What if…What if they bought a car?" Skeeter asked. "They stole a bunch of money from you guys. Not from a dealer, but…someone looking for cash?"

Kids, he thought, dumb kids. I swear they're never leaving the house after this. If they're still in our house…No, find them first.

**22222222222222222**

"Mommy?" Emily said, running into Samantha's room after her. "Mommy? Can we go outside?"

Max chewed on her lip, looking at the torn apart room in front of her. Nothing. Pushing her tangled hair back, she sighed, turning her attention to her oldest daughter. "Not tonight, Em. I have to…I'm looking for something."

"I want to help."

She is perfect, Max thought, running her hand over her stomach again. Even with the broken arm. We can't tear apart this family again. "Yeah. See that box? You want to dump it out, Monkey Girl?"

She nodded, running over to it. Giggling, she dumped the whole thing out. "Shiny!"

Max sat cross-legged on the floor next to her. Tugging on her pigtail, Max had to smile. "Your big cousin ever tell you where her favorite place is?"

Emily nodded, examining a bottle of nail polish. "With Zach."

On the table, she thought…my happiest place was always with Kenny. God, I'm interrogating my four year old. "They have place they like to go?"

She turned it over in her small hands. "Samantha told Nate they were going to Cali….Cali…flower."

"California, Em?" Max said softly, smoothing back her dark hair.

She nodded again, climbing into Max's lap. "Uh, huh."

Max kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Monkey. You are the best kid."

**22222222222222222**

"Jimmy," Kenny said nervously, hours later. "We finished with their friends."

"Let me guess. Nothing."

"Samantha…she kept to herself a lot," Kenny trailed off. "She didn't have a lot of close friends."

"She's a cheerleader."

"And private," Kenny said. Like Max. What the hell did Jimmy send her off to do? "We're putting taps on those kid's cell phones. Nothing on the GPS…they either ditched them or they turned them off."

"Go home," Jimmy said finally, feeling exhausted. "I contacted authorities at port authorities in California. I don't put much stock in four year olds ramblings."

"She's pretty sharp. Reminds me a lot of Max."

"Everyone wants to believe their kids are brilliant."

"And incapable of doing this?"

"Yeah. Go home."

**22222222222222222222**

"I'm not an idiot," Samantha stated. "I don't want them to find me. I'm never going back there. Nate is never going to have to live with our Dad again…I wanted to stay with my Aunt and Uncle."

"I was terrified to go back over there. Kenny was pissed."

"He's really overprotective, especially because she's pregnant. And ran off…I didn't think she was coming back. Now we're not going back."

**22222222222222222**

"You should be in bed," Kenny said, dropping down on the couch next to his wife. "It's after midnight."

She shot him a look, as she looked up from the laptop. "I'm never sleeping again. Don't tell me I'm pregnant either, I'm the one vomiting every morning, I know. What happened? Did you find anything out?"

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and kissed her cheek. "They're off the grid, Honey. Skeeter is looking into cars bought with cash, port authorities were contacted, they're pictures are out there…Max, I know. I'm dying inside too."

Max turned to look at him. Not since I came back, we haven't…I need him, I really need him right now. "What if they're…Kenny, I can't…I think about Caro and…Damn it."

He wiped away her tears, and leaned in so their foreheads touched. "I know you're hormonal. Cry. I won't hold it against you."

She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him. "I love you. I'm so sorry I left…I love you."

He squeezed her tighter. "I know why you did. Honey, I get it…and I don't want you ever to leave again. You and me, we're a team, nothing is going to change that."


	3. Chapter 3

"I want them arrested," Michael Richardson stated. "They failed to turn my children over to me. This runaway story? A little to convenient. Where is my sister in law?"

"I know she has a restraining order against you," Skeeter stated, glancing toward Jimmy's office. "Those kids ran away because they didn't want to go back with you."

"She put them up to it. I would of never raised them to do something like that."

Thinking of his friend's devastated expressions, Skeeter replied. "Steer clear of them."

**3333333333333333333333**

"There isn't anything there," Max sighed, feeling Kenny stroke her stomach. "What is it with you and my stomach?"

All soft, pretty, glowing, he thought. "Never been able to keep my hands off of you, Honey."

It was good last night, she thought, amazing…I almost forgot how good we are at that. Looking at Emily and Lindsay happy with their pancakes. It's too quiet…Are they eating? "You have such strong hands, I love feeling them on me."

He pressed his lips to hers, before hugging her tightly. We're okay. She isn't leaving again. "You coming in today?"

Be useful, do something, find them, she thought. Gather my girls close and never let them out of my sight again. "No sitter. Go do your job…I got it here. Kenny, it's okay."

"I'll call you," he promised. "The phone is tapped, our cells too. If they call."

Max smiled despite herself, as he hugged the girls and Emily laughed at him. He's a great Dad, he really is. And husband. What is wrong with me? Why can't I just be happy with him again?

**3333333333333333333333**

"I want them arrested!" Michael shouted.

Jimmy stared the other man down. "My son went with them. It isn't a stunt."

"Where the hell is my sister in law then?"

Home, playing mommy, he thought. Pregnant. Doing what Kenny wants her to do. "Stay away from them."

Michael scowled. "They didn't want to give me my kids back. I'm not going away until I get them back. Whatever scam this is…you have no idea who I am."

"Oh, I know who you are. I know who your kids are, and I know they were happy here."

Michael grinned. "Oh, I'm sure she has off and ruined them. This town? I can't wait to get them out of here. We're moving to Europe. Where are they?"

"We have all our resources looking for them."

"That isn't good enough."

Jimmy stared him down. "Those kids ran because they didn't want to go back with you."

Michael shook his head. "They will be returning home with me, Sheriff."

**333333333333333333333**

"Guys?" Zach said, coming back out to the car. "We got to move. Now."

Samantha looked up, from where she was filling the tank. "What?"

"Our pictures are on the news," Zach said. "Even with the rainbow hair…The guy looked at me funny. Come on."

She shoved the lever back on the pump. "Maybe we should double back? Do you think…they can't know where we're going?"

"California?" Zach asked. "Did you ever…We talked about going to college out there."

"Come on, it was Emily. She's four."

"And that girl is as smart as a whip."

Samantha glanced back at a sleeping Nate. "Okay. Where else? Where will they never look?"

**3333333333333**

She'll be fine, Kenny thought, as Jimmy filled him in on Michael. Trust her. She's the only one I trust with our kids. She can take care of herself. "We knew that… he… Damn it."

"We have a car on him."

Kenny nodded, fighting the urge to go rip the guy apart limb by limb. The kids are home with her today, no one can get at any of them. Max can handle it. "Yeah…I'm going to give Max a call. She'll want to know."

"She's home?" Jimmy asked. "Not coming in today?"

Kenny pause. "She's…You really didn't put her paperwork through? It's been more then two years."

"I was hoping she would come to her senses."

"She wants to work. You know it," Kenny stated. "I know it."

"Where is she then?"

"Home. With our kids. What? We haven't had full time childcare in years. Don't spring this on her and expect…Give her some time with it."

"We don't have time. We need to find those kids. We'll deal with her problems later."

"Guys?" Skeeter said. "We may have something here."

**33333333333333333**

"Mommy's baby," Emily stated to Lindsay, as the three of them sat there reading. "In her tummy."

Max paused to look at them both. So perfect, she thought, so different. Emily, all that dark hair, Kenny's eyes, my face, so fearless, smart, and Lindsay, all that red hair, adores her big sister, so sweet, calm…My girls.

Lindsay nodded, snuggling in closer. "I want a baby."

Max leaned back gulping back her tears. What did I do to deserve such great kids? "Yeah? You going to be a good big sister Lindz?"

She nodded hugging her. "Yes. Book?"

She handed it to Emily as the doorbell rang. "You're in charge, Em. I'll be right back."

Pausing as she caught sight of her reflection, she brushed her hair back from her face. I need a haircut, she thought, Kenny loves it like this. Soft and pretty. Pregnant. Homemaker. Sighing she wrenched her door open. "Oh crap."

"Hello, Maxine," Michael smiled. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

**3333333333333333**

Kenny felt his pulse pick up as they watched the video feed from the gas station in Colorado. "His hair is green."

"Damn it, Zach," Jimmy said under his breath, as they watched the car peal out of the parking lot. "What are you thinking?"

That he wanted to help Samantha and Nate, the way we couldn't. Because he loves her…I'd do it for Max. I get what he did. "We got an id on the car. They were headed west."

"To California."

**3333333333333333**

"Get off my property," Max said, forcing herself to stay calm. Don't scare the girls. "I have a restraining order."

"You really think I'm afraid of that?"

"You got out on one technicality. I doubt you'll be that lucky a second time."

"Don't threaten me."

Max gulped back her trepidation. "It isn't a threat, Michael. They ran away because they didn't want to go back to you. We're doing everything possible to find them."

"You know where they are!"

"If I did? I'd bring them home…they shouldn't be alone out there."

"You don't care about them! I'd rather them be missing then being raised by you."

She ignored her raising anger. "And that's why they shouldn't be with you. You have 30 seconds before I call the cops."

**333333333333333333**

"This is beautiful," Samantha stated, as they gathered their gear and walked away from the car. Looking out over the mountains, can we stay here? Disappear into the wilderness, build a cabin, be together? No, we have to keep moving. "We can't hitchhike."

Zach nodded in agreement, as he grabbed her hand in his. "We won't. We're going to…the guy saw our car."

"Yeah…Train this time? Do you really think they know we're heading to California?"

"Yeah. Lets go North."

**3333333333333333**

"How are your daughters?" Michael asked. "You keeping an eye on them?"

Bastard, she thought, I'd do anything for them. I get that now. "They're wonderful. Leave. Now."

He dropped his voice an octave, not taking his eyes off of her. "You better keep an eye on them. Wouldn't want anything to happen to them."

Max held his gaze, before he walked back up to his car. Standing rooted in that spot, as he drove off, she let out a long breath she didn't know she was holding. Locking the front door, she slid the deadbolt too. Picking up her cell phone, she walked back to the living room archway. Watching her girls for a long moment, she dialed.

"I was just about to call you," Kenny said in way of greeting.

"Michael's here," she countered, knowing he was about to go into that overprotective, coddling, drive her crazy mode. "He came to the house."

Kenny felt himself freeze. Alone and vulnerable…we live in the middle of nowhere. "You okay? The girls? Max? He's gone?"

"We're fine…They were in the other room. I locked the doors and," she trailed off, filling him in. I want him to come home, Max thought, I want him here with us. Selfish, I can't be that selfish. "Kenny, we're okay. Really."

"I'm going to send a car over."

Max gulped. "No. You need everyone there…I know that. I just…He's here, in Rome. He helped kill…and…We're okay here."

"Max."

"Should we send Emily and Lindsay to stay with your parents for a few days?" she blurted out. "I don't want him near them."

Kenny paused at that. "I don't want him near you either. Don't get testy, just listen to me for a minute. He's a murderer, he would of killed you too. The three of you should get out of here for awhile. My parents would love it."

"I'm not leaving you alone with this."

"And I can't do my job if I have to worry about you."

"Apparently it's still my job too."

"You really think this is the time for this conversation?" he replied, hating the turmoil she was stirring up in him. Lost and vulnerable, he thought, that's what she does to me. "I get it, okay?"

"Get what?"

"You!" he practically shouted, before lowering his voice. "I hate when you do this. Lock the doors, do what you want. I'll see you tonight."

"Everything okay?" Skeeter asked hesitantly, catching the tail end of the conversation. "Max okay?"

"How do you know I was talking to Max?" Kenny asked.

"Because she's the only one you get worked up over like that."

"Michael stopped by," he stated, leaving out the rest. Our problems, he thought, the ones we put away for the sake of our family for now. God, we had sex last night for the first time in over a month. Why do I love this woman? Why do I need her so much? I want to run home, and take her on the kitchen table. Tell her I love her, that I would do anything for her. "She's fine, or at least she says she is."

"She can handle herself."

"Yeah."

**3333333333333333333333**

"They'll never think to look for us here," Samantha murmured, as Zach pushed the cabin door open. "Who's is this?"

"Ours, for now," Zach said, as they shivered in the cold cabin. "It's a hunters cabin, no one should be here for months."

"It's kind of rustic," she noted. "They'll never find us here."

**3333333333333333333333**

Kenny smiled, despite his frustration and stress over her. A great mom, he thought, watching her curled up on the couch with Lindsay, Emily and a book. She looks so happy, she glows around them.

She glanced up, and gave him a nervous smile. "Care to join us?"

A peace offering? My girls, Max would be so mad if I called her that. Max, smiling, the girls laughing with her, I love her. God, how I love her.

"Daddy!" Emily cried, still pressed to Max's side. "Come read!"

"Come on, Dad," Max smiled, not wanting to fight. "These two are almost ready for bed."

He settled down on the couch next to them, trying to get a read off of his wife. "How are my three favorite people?"

Lindsay climbed on his lap snuggling in closer. "Mommy made cookies."

"Edible ones?"

"Funny," she said dryly. "Did you…Anything?"

He scooped Lindsay closer, and reached over to squeeze her hand. "Some stuff…How about it, Ladies? Why don't I go tuck you in and we'll give your mom a break? Then…Honey?"

She nodded, squeezing it back. I want to be okay with him. "Okay."


	4. Chapter 4

Kenny smiled to himself as he watched Max come out of the bathroom. Little belly, he thought, under that tight tank top. She's way too adorable, and she'd hate that. "They're out."

"They had a busy day. Reading. Baking. Asking where their cousins are. Why Mommy looked so freaked out after she answered the door. What happened today?"

"We got video of them leaving a gas station in Colorado. Heading west."

"Video?"

"Gas station clerk recognized them from the news. They have a car, got a description. Max, they're alive, they're together, they're fine. We'll find them."

"What about Michael?"

"He's not going anywhere. They're camped out in the Starlight Hotel. Him, his lawyers. We got a car on him," Kenny trailed off, not taking his eyes off of her. "Honey, come here."

She leaned into his strong embrace, not wanting to move. "I talked to your Mom today."

"You want to send the kids down there? You that worried?"

"He helped kill our son, and he's staying five miles down the road. I don't want them near him. I can't…not again."

He squeezed her tighter. "Okay. What about you?"

"What about me?"

Go with them, he thought, get away from this. Completely out of the line of fire. "You going with them? You staying here and working the case?"

**44444444444444444444444**

"It's cold," Nate whined, wrapping another blanket around his shoulders, as Zach tried to build a fire. "How long do we have to stay here for?"

"Until they take our pictures off of the news," Samantha stated. "You really want to go back to Dad?"

"I want to go back to Aunt Maxie."

"We can't. They have to give us to him. They have their own kids, they don't really want us anyway."

Nate shook his head. "But I like it there. They want us."

"Come on," Zach groaned. "I listen to my parents. My Dad is pissed that Max quit her job to give you guys a home."

"It was warm there too," Nate added.

**4444444444444444444**

Max gulped, not wanting to fight with him. We're wound so tight as it is. How do I just… "I consider them ours, the same way Lindsay and Emily are. I can't just…I can't sit home again while they're missing."

Kenny held her gaze, feeling his heart beating faster. Almost shot a few weeks ago, pregnant, I don't want her to leave me again. "I know."

She laid her hands on her stomach. "I'll be careful…nothing is more important to me then you, our family, this baby. I can't sit home anymore…and it may make me terribly selfish, but I can't."

He covered her hands with his, smiling a bit at the slight curve. "I got your back. Yeah, I'm going to worry…you're pregnant. You're more then capable, Honey, I know that. I'm going to worry because you're my wife. Deal with it."

"We have other things to worry about now."

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I know."

"You know I worry about you too?"

"We're screwed up."

"Can we be screwed up together?"

He wrapped his arms back around her, and tugged her in closer. "I love you, Honey. No one I'd rather be screwed up with then you."

**4444444444444444444444**

"How long can we stay here?" Samantha whispered, as she and Zach laid huddled under the covers.

"Awhile," he whispered back, holding her close. "We can't…I know, you know, school and stuff. We're going to need to get jobs. We go to wait for them to give up."

"They won't give up. My Aunt and Uncle will look for us forever…I know that. Because of Josh."

"That was a bad time…I remember it. My Dad worked around the clock. You know they mailed Josh to Max and Kenny? In a cooler."

Samantha gulped. "No…they never told me. My Dad really helped? Did he kill him?"

Zach shook his head. "No, he was involved in the planning and stuff. I don't know. They didn't want you to hate your Dad, that's why they never told you. We'll start a new life."

Samantha kissed him, and snuggled in closer. "I love you."

**4444444444444444444444**

"Zach got a full scholarship," Jill said softly, handing Jimmy the letter. "A full ride and he…how could he do this? Where is he?"

With her, Jimmy thought, Samantha Richardson. Kenny and Max's niece, they were getting too serious, too close, the sex on the table, Max running off, how could we not seeing it coming? "He's throwing it all away."

"He kept saying how he loved her. She's not even 16."

"She's older then that on the inside. She's been through a lot, Zach had a crush on her since they brought her here. We should of stopped it…Max should of stopped it, she's had nothing but free time."

"I'm going to stop by there today."

"Oh, she'll be going to work. She's involved in this, whether she wants it or not."

**4444444444444444444444**

"Mommy!" Emily cried, running into the kitchen. "Can we go?"

Max smiled, despite herself. Pink tutu, striped sweater, polka dot tights. "Did Daddy pick this outfit out?"

Emily giggled. "No! Daddy doesn't know about clothes. I'm pretty like you."

"Ah, Em," Max sighed. "Where's your sister?"

"She pooped. Why isn't Daddy coming too?"

"He has to work, Monkey," Max said softly. Me too. Damn. "Oh, don't look so sad."

She clamored on her Mom's nap and snuggled in close. "Mommy? I miss Nate."

"Me too," she said softly, combing through her long dark hair. "We'll bring them home. Daddy won't stop looking."

"Why do people go away? Mommy you went away."

Max squeezed her tighter. "I'm never leaving you again."

"Hey," Kenny said, hearing their conversation. "You ready to go?"

Max nodded. "Yeah, I'll probably spend the night and come back tomorrow. Be careful?"

He scooped a giggling Emily up. "You too. Em? What are you wearing?"

"I want to be pretty like Mommy. Are we going away too? Daddy come too."

"You and Lindsay are going to have a blast with your grandparents. Your mom and me? Boring, grown-up stuff. You won't even miss us."

"I love you, Daddy."

Kenny hugged her tighter, meeting Max's eyes. Guilt she feels so guilty. "Love you too, Em. You guys ready to go?"

**444444444444444444444**

"She did what?" Jimmy demanded.

"Will you get off her case?" Kenny stated. "She'll be back tomorrow. Michael, yeah we don't want them around him."

"What is it with her and running away?"

"She isn't. Hell, I want her to stay for a few days. She said no, that she promised you that she would do this. So cut Max some slack."

**444444444444444444444**

"Thanks," Zach said, picking up the bags of food. "Hey, I saw the sign. You're hiring? Could I get an application?"

The clerk sat back, looking at him for a long moment. "You old enough, Kid?"

Zach nodded. "Yup."

"Hours are midnight until seven, stocking shelves and doing inventory. Under the table. That okay?"

"When can I start?"

**4444444444444444444444**

"Oh, Max," Carol said, pulling her into a hug, as Lindsay and Emily ran to their grandfather. "It is so good to see you."

Max hugged her mother in law back, and watched as the girls all but jumped on their grandfather. "Thank you so much."

"Did you let Kenny dress them?"

Max smiled at that, as she glanced at their outfits. "Emily did hers by herself, Lindsay though? He tried."

"I'm so sorry about Nate and Samantha. They'll come back."

Max nodded, not entirely sure of that. "I hope so."

"Can't you stay a few days? We would love it."

Max watched as the girls all but used their grandfather as a jungle gym. It hurts, she thought, it hurts so much to leave them here. They're my life, them, Kenny, Samantha, Nate, this baby. I have to do this. "So would I…I need to get back."

"How are you feeling?" she asked gesturing toward her stomach. "Kenny told us the good news."

She laid her hand on her stomach. "I'm good. Excited. Nervous."

"Come in, come in," she insisted. "Sit down, rest. Emily, Lindsay, come over here and tell me everything."

**444444444444444444**

Hopeless, Kenny thought, shifting through the reports. It's like they fell of the planet. They're kids, how could they pull this off?

"The pulled Zach's prints off a car in Colorado," Skeeter said. "They left it in a parking lot in Boulder. Matches the one in the video."

"They must know it got caught on tape," Kenny said.

Skeeter nodded. "The bus runs right through there."

"So we're back to square one."

"Not quite," Jimmy said. "We're going to Boulder. Call your wife."


	5. Chapter 5

"I missed you," Kenny said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him.

"It hasn't even been 24 hours," Max murmured into his chest, as he hugged her in baggage claim.

"I always miss you when you're not around. The girls okay?"

She pulled back slightly to look up at him, and tried not to feel incredibly guilty. Lindsay clinging to me and sobbing. Em, tearing up, and she never cries and hugging her sister. "They've lost a lot too. Em is going to remember this."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. "You're an amazing mother. That's what they're going to remember. My parents are going to spoil them rotten these few days."

"I know. And I'm feeling fine before you even ask."

Three, almost four months pregnant, he thought, emotional, hormonal, temperamental. "No more morning sickness? Time to get fat?"

"You're welcome to try this."

"Nah, I like the pregnancy glow on you way too much."

"I do not glow."

He smiled, despite the less then ideal situation. "I hate to break it to you, Honey, but you do. You're glowing right now."

"Are you sure it isn't the florescent lights?"

He hugged her again. "Nope. It's all you, Preggo."

"Nice of you to join us," Jimmy said dryly, looking at the embracing couple. "If you two can tear yourselves apart?"

Kenny released her reluctantly. "Where are we heading?"

**5555555555555555555555**

Zach shivered, as he parked the snowmobile outside the cabin. Cold, he thought, way too cold. We can't stay here much longer…this is insane. Grabbing the bag of food, he shut the cabin door behind him. "Hello?"

"Hey," Samantha said, wrapping her arms around him. "You made it back."

"Yeah, the snow is really coming down. I wasn't going to leave you guys alone for the night."

"It's so cold."

Zach hugged her tighter. "When the snow stops? We'll get out of here."

**55555555555555555555555**

"Thanks," Jimmy said, shaking hands with the Chief. "We appreciate it."

Max glanced out at the snow covering mountains. Are they really out there? Concentrate. "How many cabins are out there?"

"Hundreds."

Max nodded, they have to be freezing,if they're here. "Who saw them go into the woods?

Kenny glanced at her, trying to get a read off of her. She's an emotional wreck. Stay professional. Forget for now that she's my pregnant wife.

"Store owner. Says one of the kids, the boy, is working for him."

"Where?" Jimmy pressed. "Why haven't you picked him up?"

The ranger shot him a look. "You want the other two to bolt? Willie sends him home with food…they're not starving out there."

"Lets go," Jimmy said finally, feeling his heart rate pick up. Looking over at Max and Kenny. "She's four months pregnant, this safe for her?"

The ranger turned to look at her. "Snowmobile ride through the mountains? She'll be fine. Perfectly safe."

Kenny gulped, not wanting to rock the boat with her even more. Reckless, she can be so reckless. "Honey."

"Don't Honey me," she retorted. "You heard him, perfectly safe."

Jimmy looked over at them. "You sure?"

"Lets go."

**555555555555555555555555**

"Nate?" Samantha cried, shaking him. "Nate!"

"What?" Zach murmured, shivering, as he sat up. "What is it?"

"He isn't waking up!" Samantha practically screamed. "He's so cold and…Nate!"

Zach crouched down next to her, gulping at the cold and blue skin he felt, when he gingerly felt for the pulse. No…no. He should of slept with us, not over here by the door. He…Oh, shit.

"Nate!' Samantha screamed again, shaking him. "Wake up! You wake up right now!"

Zach wrapped his arms around her, as she screamed. "He's…I'm sorry."

"No!"

**55555555555555555555555**

"You feeling okay?" Kenny murmured in her ear, as they climbed off the snowmobile.

She nodded, shivering a bit. "Don't worry about me."

Way too adorable, he thought, bundled up in that down parka, wool hat with all that hair sticking out. Out here, stomping around in the snow, shivering, what is wrong with her? "Not going to happen."

"We'll stop here," the ranger said, gesturing to the store. "Talk to Willie again. Get some coffee."

Max forced herself not to shiver again, as she followed the men inside. So cold…how can they be out there in a cabin? Feeling Kenny lay his hand on the small of her back, she fought the resentment of his coddling versus the comfort she felt at his closeness.

"Willie! You here!"

"Back again, Tom? Kid went back up to the woods," Willie stated. "We checked out the local cabins, no one is there."

Tom sighed, and gestured to the other three. "We're going to head up a bit further, before the sun goes down."

"Was it just one?" Jimmy said, sliding a picture of Zach across the counter.

"He had the girl with him one time. Good kids…not sure what they're running from."

"You," Jimmy said, turning to look at Max. "You're staying here. Question anyone who comes in. If any of them show up, cuff them to the radiator. Do you understand me, Deputy?"

Max nodded, stilling feeling the resentment coming off him in waves. "I got it."

"She's four months pregnant," he continued, turning to Willie. "We'll pick her up on our way back."

**5555555555555555555555**

"I'm not leaving him!" Samantha screamed, kicking and scratching at him. "Let go of me! Nate!"

"He's gone," Zach sobbed, still holding her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"You're lying!"

"I love you. I can't lie to you."

She hugged her brother to her, and let her tears fall. "Nate."

**5555555555555555555555**

"Another empty one," Kenny stated, looking at the dark and deserted cabin. "What are they thinking?"

"That he doesn't want his girlfriend and her brother to go back to your insane brother in law. Does your wife have any sane family members?"

"There is a reason we go to my parent's at Christmas," Kenny deadpanned, as they trekked to the next one. "They did a stupid thing, I get it. Lay off Max, okay? She feels like crap about this."

"She should."

"Is that a hand?"

**555555555555555555555555**

"Samantha?" Zach asked, as she sat shell shocked on the train.

She leaned against the window, too numb to even respond. Nate. No.

Zach gulped, not sure what to do with her. Home, we should go home…my parents, Kenny, Max, they'll help us. Nate's dead. She won't go back, not now. How do I…No, I love her, I can take care of her.

**5555555555555555555555555**

"Thanks," Max said tiredly, as the fifth person left the store. Nothing. The green haired kid seemed great. Sipping on the offered tea, and wishing it was coffee, she turned back to Willie. "Zach's a real good kid."

"I'm sure he is."

Max gritted her teeth, and looked out at the snow coming down. They would rather hide in the snow then go home to him... "He works at midnight?"

"Some nights. You stick around, you might pick him up."

Instead of Jimmy and Kenny up on that mountain, she thought, where anything could happen. She gulped, and wrapped her arms around herself. It's gotten so hard...it was so perfect. What kind of world are we bringing this baby into? "I would like that. He thought he was helping and...he's a really good kid."

Willie belched. "What's he running from?"

"Custody suit. His girlfriend and her brother, my niece and nephew...he wants to protect them," Max trailed off. If we find them, Samantha and Nate go to Michael, he's pressing charges against Zach, suing us...no, find them, this isn't safe. "They're going to freeze up there."

**555555555555555555555555**

"I have a pulse," Kenny said, his brain kicking into the cool under pressure cop mode. "Faint, but there."

Jimmy stared at the blue 10 year old in the blankets, and felt his heart freeze in his chest. Zach...he could be here too. Someone buried him. What the hell? "Helicopter is on it's way. Go with him. I'll get Max and we'll meet you there."

Max, he thought, Max. How do I tell her? "Go easy on her."

**55555555555555555555555**

"Hello, Maxine," Michael said. "Why am I not surprised to find you in a place like this?"

She felt her heart drop to her knees. "Why are you here?"

"They're my children. I won the custody the suit. You have no business here. Last I heard you weren't even a cop anymore."

"Your children ran away because they'd rather be on the streets then with you."

"Where are they?"

Max gulped, as he advanced on her. "They're looking."

"You tell me now!" he shouted, as he backed her into the counter. "I'm through playing games with you!"

"You back off the lady," Willie growled, raising a shotgun. "You have to the count of one."

Michael shoved her away. "You stupid bitch."

She caught herself on the counter. "Murdering asshole."

"I should of shot you."

She glared back at him, gulping back her anger. "You want to tell your kids that? I did everything I could to give them a good home, I wanted them to feel safe and I never told them what you did. I would give anything to bring them home safely."

"What did I do? I was released, the conviction thrown out. I did nothing in the eyes of the law."

"Max?" Jimmy called, walking back into the store and nearly colliding with Michael. Shooting her a concerned look. "Michael."

She looked up, bracing herself for Kenny's explosion. Frowning when she just saw Jimmy. "What happened?"

He looked back at Michael. "We found something."


	6. Chapter 6

**Three Months Later**

Max groaned, as she sat up slowly. Ow, she thought, looking down at her seven month pregnant stomach, ow. Almost there…Lindsay was a month early. No, don't think that way, keep this one incubating. The last one. "Oh, please stop kicking me."

"Ah, stop your whining," Kenny sighed, looking over at her. Adorable, he thought, she'd hate that, but still adorable. "Want a backrub?"

She smiled tiredly at him. "Yeah."

He felt her relax, as he rubbed her shoulders. Adorable, he thought again, in my sweatshirt, smiling at her aversion to maternity clothes. Tense, emotional, sad, and trying really hard to hold it all together for me. "Honey?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, feeling herself melt at his touch. I don't want to talk, think, any of it.

Keep it light, he thought, brushing back her hair. "You look amazing."

She bit her lip, knowing he couldn't see her face. He loves me like this, soft, pretty, knocked up. "And I'm glowing too?"

Radiant, he thought, even now. Ask her, it may be the best thing for us. "Oh, you glow. Want to move?"

She shifted on the couch. "Am I too heavy for you?"

"What? No," he sighed. "Not move off of me. Move, Max. Fresh start. What do you think?"

She shifted on the couch to look at him. "What?"

He combed through her hair, smiling slightly at her. "Move, somewhere else. Where people don't know us. Fresh start. We have jobs we can do anywhere."

"You're serious?" she asked, mulling it over. Fresh start…no baggage, we have so much baggage. So tense…This thing with Jimmy is the worst. "Wow… a fresh start? Where?"

He let his hands drift down and settle on her stomach. "I don't know. Max, I…I think we need this. I need this."

She settled back against his chest. It's bad for him, Jimmy is so angry, at him, me, Zach and Samantha are gone. Nate…still in a coma, with Michael. The mean moms I deal with everyday. It hurts, I can't…Move. Fresh start. It isn't that insane of an idea. "Any idea where?"

**6666666666666666666666**

"What are you doing?" Zach asked, staring at her. "Is that…What?"

Samantha lifted her head, inhaling the white powder. "Oh, come on. Relax, Zach."

"You're doing cocaine? We barely afford food!"

She giggled and tossed her hair back. "Oh, I didn't pay with money."

**66666666666666666666**

After she has the baby, Kenny thought, feeling Jimmy's disdain from across the station. I doubt he'd care at this point.

"He'll come around," Skeeter commented. "It sucks for all of you."

Kenny looked up. "Yeah."

"How's Max? Linda says she's barely showing."

"Tell her that," Kenny trailed off. "She's okay. Being pregnant is probably the best thing for her now."

"You know what she's having?"

"Nope. She thinks girl."

"Again?"

"Kenny, my office."

"Good luck," Skeeter said under his breath.

**66666666666666666666666666666**

"Look at you," Jill said. "How are you feeling?"

Max gulped, still feeling really nervous around her, despite the invitation. "Good."

"You're eating enough?" Jill pressed, as they sat down to coffee. "You shouldn't be drinking coffee."

"I know."

"Have you heard anything from?"

"No. He took Nate to a specialist, I know they amputated a leg," Max said, gulping back her tears. "He's still in a coma."

"They left him there. Zach, he."

Max shook her head. "There has to be another…they wouldn't have just left him there. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, that he ran off with them."

"She won't come back."

**66666666666666666666666666666**

Zach sighed as he walked down the street. Cocaine? Really? This isn't happening. "Hey, Kid!"

He turned. "Huh."

"Give me your wallet."

**66666666666666666666666666666**

"No," she trailed off. "There isn't a trail."

"Michael still has private investigators. He wants Zach arrested."

Max chewed on her lip. This isn't happening. And we want to move, start over, get away from all of that. Is that terribly selfish? Give our girls and this baby a fresh start. Me and Kenny too. "Zach didn't do this to them. I know it's Samantha's idea, she's impulsive and …we would of kept fighting for them."

"Impulsiveness seems to run in your family."

Em is going to give Kenny a heart attack before she's 18. Lindsay at least seems to have inherited some of his more mellowness. Our girls. "Yeah, Kenny calls me reckless and impulsive all the time. He'd pour this coffee down the sink and hand me bottled water."

Jill smiled, despite herself. Protective, she thought, and she's letting him be. She is radiant, you would think everything was great. "It's nice you two are happy."

"Are you okay?"

**66666666666666666666666666666**

Jimmy gestured him to stop, as he answered the phone. "What?"

Kenny looked up, hating the tension. He hates me, Max, blames her for this. He's hurting just as much as we are, probably more. Jumping a bit, as Jimmy hung up. "Everything okay?"

Jimmy looked up. "Zach is in the San Francisco Hospital. He was mugged."

"What?"

"Mugged, they recognized him from the news."

"He's okay?" Kenny asked, his relief knowing no bounds. "They're holding him, right? Samantha. Was she with him?"

"No. I'm calling Jill and we're going to L.A. Call your wife, you're both coming."

"She can't fly, she's seven months pregnant."

"Of course she is. What's your brother in law's phone number?"

**6666666666666666666666666**

"He's angry, you know how angry he is," Jill said. "Don't take it personally."

"He was angry with me before this."

Jill looked down at her swelling stomach. "He thinks you threw your life away. He's just as protective of you as Kenny is, just in a different way."

"Just what I need."

**666666666666666666666666**

"But," Max started, later that night. "How can I just stay here?"

He patted her stomach, before turning back to his packing. "You're seven months, Preggo."

"So what?"

"Airline regulations. Use your brain."

She sunk down on their bed. "They arrested Zach."

"You know this whole thing wasn't his idea. Samantha, she's a lot like you."

"Impulsive and reckless? I like to think I've mellowed. Is Zach you then?"

"The guy who would do anything for his woman? And yeah, you're my woman. Deal with it. I'd run off with you. Isn't that we're doing?"

"Fresh start?"

"After you have this thing? You really think it's a girl?"

Max nodded. "Yeah. Sorry."

"I'm outnumbered here, Honey," he teased, glad to see a smile out of her, as he laid his hands on her stomach again. "Hey, you in there. Grow a penis."

"Kenny!"

"I mean it. I can't take any more tea parties, unicorns or gymnastics."

"Are you trying to make me not miss you?"

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Yeah. Keep that kid in there until I get home."

**6666666666666666666666**

"No, she's gone," Zach lied. "She ran off."

"I don't believe you," the officer stated.

Zach grasped the bars in his hands. "I didn't kidnap her!"

"Sit tight. Your parents are on the way."

**66666666666666666666666**

"I want to sleep with you," Emily said stubbornly, as she and Lindsay climbed on the bed. "Please, Mommy?"

Max pushed her heavy hair back, and threw back the comforter. "Just for tonight."

Lindsay rubbed her stomach. "Baby."

Max scooped them closer, and marveled at their perfection. How did Kenny and I make such amazing kids? "You going to be a good big sister, Lindz?"

She nodded, tugging on her hair. "I want a baby."

"Oh, you have a long time," she sighed, as they snuggled under the covers together. "Do you guys know how much I love you? How much me and Daddy both love you?"

**66666666666666666666666**

Ignore it, Kenny thought, hating Jimmy's hostility. It's his kid, arrested…we'll be out of his hair soon enough. Fresh start, me, Max, our daughters, and whatever she is having in two months. I swear I'm going to do everything I can to make her happy, our family safe.

"Kenny?"

He looked up, still lost in own thoughts. "Jill?"

She shook her head, as they waited in the San Francisco Police Station lobby. "What's going to happen?"

"I don't know. He didn't kidnap anyone…it was Samantha. I think we all know that."

"She's a lot like Max, isn't she?"

"Yeah. You know, she, Max, after she left for college, she never went back. I mean, to live there. She had a full scholarship, worked her way through school and the summers, so she wouldn't have to go back."

"And that isn't why Zach ran."

"He ran for her."

"He kept telling me he loved her."

"She told Max the same thing. We should of…after the table sex."

**666666666666666666**

"Dad!" Zach cried, feeling glad and terrified all at once. "Dad, I."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jimmy exploded. "How could you even think this was a good idea!"

"I thought…I didn't want her to leave."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know…Dad, she…she's really messed up. There is drugs and…I'm not sure where she went. When Nate died, she…I don't know how to help her."

Jimmy stepped back. "What are you talking about?"

"Nate, he…we were in this cabin, it was so cold, and he…he froze. We…we didn't want to leave him and…we buried him in the snow. She…I'm sorry, Dad."

"Nate is alive."

**66666666666666666666666**

Max yawned, as she poured the cereal. Savoring the cup of coffee Kenny would berate her for, she leaned back against the counter and watched her girls for a long moment. Never thought I would have these. "What do you say, Ladies? I can't move too quickly, but how about playing in the snow?"

"Can we build a snowman?" Emily asked. "And a snow monkey?"

"Whatever you want."

"Snow unicorn," Lindsay added, as the doorbell rang. "Is that Daddy?"

"Daddy will be home soon," Max promised, tracing slow circles on her rounded stomach. "I know he misses you too. Eat up, then we'll go out. Let me get that."

Tightening her ponytail holder, she sighed at her reflection in the mirror. Soft, pretty and pregnant, in leggings and Kenny's sweatshirt. Homemaker, she thought, glancing back at her girls. Josh, Nate, Samantha… I'm sorry, guys, so sorry. Damn it. Wrenching the door open, she jumped back. "Oh, crap."

"You miss me?" Michael asked, pushing her against the wall. "You took my kids, Nate is practically dead…I'm going to make your life a living hell."

"Don't hurt my girls," Max begged, fighting against him. "Please, just leave them alone, they never hurt anyone."

"Oh, you've ruined them, they're worthless. This," he smiled, poking her in the stomach. "You run, scream, try to get away, I will slit their worthless throats. This baby, it's mine. Ours, Caroline.

"Mommy?"

"Take your sister upstairs," Max called, keeping the tremble out of her voice. "Go get ready to play outside."

"I'm going to enjoy this," Michael smiled, before raising the rag to her face.


	7. Chapter 7

"Not dead?" Zach said. "No, he didn't have a pulse, he wasn't breathing. He's alive?"

"He's in a coma, with an amputated leg," Jimmy stated. "With his father."

"Kenny and Max didn't get him back?"

"No. They don't even know where they are."

"Dad, she…she isn't the same girl. She's doing cocaine, sleeping with other guys and…I love her, I want to help her, but…I don't know where she went."

"Where were you staying? You are in a hell of a lot of trouble, Zach. Michael filed charges for kidnapping. She was 15 when you left, you're 18.'

"I didn't kidnap her!"

Reckless, like her aunt and her computer hacking mom. I swear I could strangle Max…she's in for a world of surprise when those girls get older.

**77777777777777777777**

"He didn't kidnap her," Kenny stated. "My niece is incredibly stubborn, reckless, pigheaded…Zachary Brock is a hormonal kid, who wanted to keep his girlfriend happy."

"You were in a custody suit with her parents?" the officer sighed. "This case…where is the father?"

"Not answering," he thought. Like my wife, forget it, she's fine. "Her brother, Nate, he's in a coma…We're not sure where they are. It's complicated."

"There is a warrant out for him."

And he's not a juvenile, he thought, Zach isn't talking. He has to know where she is.

**77777777777777777777777777777**

"Kenny?" Max groaned, cracking her eyes open. Feeling the panic rise, she shot up on the four poster bed. Looking frantically around the room, she couldn't see a door, a window, anything. My girls, please…if he hurt them. "Let me out of here! Can you hear me, you son of a bitch?"

"Don't fight me," his voice came over the speaker system. "You're staying in there, until you have that baby. Our baby, Caroline."

She wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach. My baby, she thought, I can't do this to Kenny, my girls, he'll never get over this. My girls…they're all alone. Em, Lindz…please, God, please. Where am I? Looking around the opulent bedroom, she stifled a scream. "Let me go. I won't tell anyone, Michael. You don't want to do this."

"I'm going to take care of you."

**777777777777777777**

"Where is she, Zach?" Jimmy pressed. "She's 16 years old. She shouldn't be alone out there. You have no idea how hard Kenny and Max are pushing to keep them, they won't give up."

"She went off with this other guy…He's, he's, the one who gives her drugs. She's really messed up and I wanted to help her. Nate's okay? Alive. She has to know. You have to tell her."

"I will. Where is she?"

"Dad, I don't know…we were staying. Apartment 32B, 146 Cooper Street…Please, help her. I don't care…Dad? I love her."

**777777777777777777**

"Come on, Honey," Kenny said, as he voicemail picked up again. Where are you? "Max, where are you? Call me."

"No answer?" Jill asked. "She's probably out with the kids. You worry about her."

"It bugs her, I know. Of course she's fine," Kenny said. Seven months pregnant, home alone with exhausting Emily and her shadow Lindsay, she's got it. I made her give everything up to do this. "She's great with them."

Jill smiled, despite everything. "I'm looking forward to delivering their little brother and sister."

"Sister, according to Max. She's that sure. She's getting achy, cranky, keeps telling me she's fat, I can barely tell she has a stomach when she's bumming around in my sweatshirts."

**7777777777777777777777**

Help me, she thought, feeling along the wall for something. Emily, Lindsay, they're alone in that house…my girls, oh god, if something happens to them, they're only four and two. Kenny, get home…help them. I need to get out of here.

Sinking onto the bed she hugged her stomach, wearing Caroline's old maternity clothes. My baby, Kenny and I make such great babies…Kenny, he'll know. I can't wait…I need to rescue myself. For my girls.

"We need to keep fixing you," Michael said, as the wall panel slid out and gestured the other man inside. "Sit down, Caroline."

"I'm not," Max stammered. "Please! Help me! He's kidnapped me, I have kids at home. Please, help me."

"She needs to look like this," Michael said, handing him a picture. "My wife is ill."

Max gulped, as she saw the gun at the other man's back. "Oh, God."

"Sit down," he said, as Max saw the picture of her dead sister. "We're going to start your transformation."

**77777777777777777777777**

"Nothing from Michael?" Jimmy asked, rejoining Jill and Kenny.

Kenny shook his head. "Or his lawyer. I left a message. We're not on the best terms."

He shot his deputy a look. "No kidding. You talk to Max?"

"Not yet. She isn't picking up, probably out with the kids."

Home, pregnant, with her kids, Jimmy thought, who the hell is this? Happy playing house, while we're out here dealing with this. "Probably."

Ignoring the gnawing in his gut, he nodded. "Any word yet? Cocaine and … she's 16. What the hell is she thinking? Zach, they…they're going to let him out?"

"He's being arraigned tomorrow, and probably shipped back to Wisconsin to face charges. Not likely that your brother in law will drop those."

He hates me, blames me. A couple months, and we'll have a fresh start. Whatever Max wants this time. "Probably not."

**777777777777777777777777**

"Oh, Zach," Jill sighed, hugging him, after court. "We'll work this out. You get to come home."

"Samantha, Mom, no one found her. I can't just leave her here."

Jill hugged him again. "The police will find her, we have to worry about you now."

"No, she's all alone, she doesn't know Nate's okay. She'd come back for him."

"Oh, Sweetheart," she sighed, as she and Jimmy walked him out of the courthouse. "We're going home. Michael's lawyers are here, they're…they're going to find her."

**77777777777777777777**

"Max?" Kenny called, walking into the house, after the long flight. Lawyers kicking me out…I can't tell her that. Looking around at the dirty cereal bowls, trail of popcorn on the floor and cookies, he frowned. My neat freak wife didn't clean this up. "Max? Honey? You deaf as well as not answering the phone? Max?"

Freezing at the scuffling he heard upstairs, he unlocked his gun from the drawer. Damn it, I should of sent someone over to check on her. She's pregnant, we live in the middle of nowhere. Max, Emily, Lindsay…Creeping up the stairs, he listened again for the faint noises coming from their bedroom. Pushing the door open, and seeing the empty room, he lowered the gun slowly. Glancing at the shut bathroom door, and the crumb trail leading to it, he gave himself a mental shake. Taking a steadying breath, he kicked it open. Lowering the gun he stared, before tucking it into his waistband. "Em? Lindsay?"

"Daddy?" Emily whimpered, hugging Lindsay to her. "Daddy?"

"Em," he sighed, crouching down in front of his daughters. Crying, they've both been crying. "Hey there, Princess. What's wrong? Lindsay, oh, don't cry. I'm here."

"Mommy's gone. She went with that man," Emily sobbed, hugging him. "Mommy left me."

Kenny hugged her back, looking at the disarray of the bathroom, Lindsay's filthy diaper, a crying Emily, she wouldn't of…she wouldn't just…no, she couldn't do this. She loves them, everything… "What man, Em?"

She continued to cry, as Kenny settled on the cool floor with both of them. "He said…Mommy gone."

Kenny held on tighter to them. Max wouldn't do this, I don't care how hormonal she is. These are our girls. Not after everything we've. "What did he say, Em? Ssh, you're going to be brave, fearless, strong, like your mom. Ssh, I'm here. What happened? Emily, look at me."

"The man…Mommy told us to go upstairs. Where is Mommy?"

**77777777777777777777**

Max stared at her reflection in the mirror, after Michael's kidnapped stylist was done. Shakily, she fingered the honey blond layered locks, she gulped back her tears. Caroline, he wants…looking down at the maternity clothes, she steadied herself on the wall. He wants me to be her. He keeps calling me Caroline.

"There we go," Michael smiled, joining her. "You look lovely."

"You son of a bitch."

He struck her across the face, causing her to fall back onto the bed. "Don't fight me, Caroline."

She sat up, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "Please don't hurt me."

"I'll never hurt you again. Put this on."

No, she thought, no, as he tossed the wedding dress at her. Caro's dress. "I'm pregnant. It won't fit."

"Put it on!" he shouted, striking her. "Now!"

**7777777777777777777**

Skeeter looked over at his partner. "She wouldn't just bail."

Kenny looked at his silent and now fed kids. "They were in that bathroom for two days, with Em sneaking down to the kitchen to get food…she didn't pick up when I called…I should of. She wouldn't of."

"She wouldn't leave your kids all alone. Those girls are everything to her, it's obvious. She wouldn't do this."

Kenny looked back over at his daughters, his heart leaping into his throat. Emily cried, she never cries, she's her mother's daughter. Max, damn it, where are you? Did someone…Michael. "Where is Michael Richardson?"

"We checked. Airtight alibi in Boston."

Kenny gulped. "Where the hell is my wife?"

**7777777777777777**

"Dad?" Zach asked, as he walked into the living room.

"Back to your room."

"I'm really sorry," Zach said. "I just…Dad, Mom, I'm sorry. What's going to happen?"

"We're going to court. Michael Richardson pressed charges, he's serious. We didn't find Samantha, Nate is in a coma. He needs someone to blame."

"Am I going to jail?"

**777777777777777**

"Hi, Emily," Skeeter said, sitting down next to her. "How are you doing?"

"I want Mommy."

He nodded. "I know you do. Your Mommy loves you very much. Can hotelmen about the man that she left with?"

She shook her head. "No."

"It can help us bring her home."

"Mommy left again. Why did she leave?"

She wouldn't leave, Skeeter thought, she gave up everything for her family. She wouldn't…unless it was to protect them. "She wouldn't of without a good reason. Tell me about the man, Emily. Take your time, Lindsay is with your Dad. You're both safe here."

Emily sniffled, wiping her tears. "He was big, like Daddy. Mommy told us to be good."

"Did he have hair like yours?"

She shook her head. "No. Not like Mommy or Lindsay either."

"Lighter?"

She nodded. "Blonde, like Samantha. Why did Mommy leave?"

"Was Mommy scared?"

"No…Mommy is never scared. She told us to go upstairs and wait for her."


	8. Chapter 8

**Two Weeks Later**

I can't do this, Kenny thought, serving up breakfast. I don't know how…she fell off the planet. No sign of foul play, no evidence, I'll never believe she left. She wouldn't do that to our kids. Not like that, I don't care how hormonal she is. We were in a good spot again.

"Daddy," Emily whined. "It's sticky. I want Mommy's eggs."

"I know you do, Princess," he said, sitting down next to her. How could she do this? "You, me, Lindsay, we'll stick together. I'll never stop looking for Mommy."

"The bad man, is he going to come back for me? I don't want to go away."

"Never," he promised, squeezing her. "I'll never let anything happen to you, Sweetie. I love you, Mommy loves you.'

"I want Mommy to come back."

**888888888888888888**

"Three years suspended," Michael roared. "That's it! That kid took my children! One is still missing, one is in a coma! You call this justice!"

"Quiet!" Bone shouted.

Zach reached out to hug his parents. Samantha, I should go back, find her. I'm not going to jail.

**88888888888888888**

Max laid on the bed, exhausted. I can't move, she thought, rubbing her stomach. He's drugging me, I know he is…the food? I'm so tired. Sitting up, her blonde hair fell in face. Home, I want to go home…Kenny, he has to know, he was to be looking. Rubbing her stomach, what if…I can save myself.

**888888888888888**

"I need to go find her. If she knew about Nate and Max, she'd want to be here. She hates her Dad," Zach stated. "But she loves her brother, and loved living with Kenny and Max. I can't…Dad, I need to find her."

"You're not going anywhere," Jimmy stated overjoyed that his youngest son wasn't going to jail. "I don't care if you're 18, that girl? She almost ruined your life."

"How can I just leave her? She's doing drugs, she's all alone."

"Her dad has private investigators, so does Kenny," he started. Also looking for Max, he refuses to believe she left him, and I believe him. Everything she's done these last few years has been for him and their family. I would say Michael Richardson too, except for the airtight alibi. "They'll find her."

"Kenny is more worried about Max."

"Max is over seven months pregnant, of course he is."

"You think Michael took her?"

Yes, Jimmy thought, but there isn't any proof. He has an alibi. Kenny is a wreck. "I don't know what to think. Except that you're grounded until further notice."

**8888888888888888**

Kenny stared in disbelief, not believing it. Max and some guy, while she was taking that time off. To find herself. Get some space. She was with this guy? My wife, mother of my children, best friend, the love of my life was…damn it, Max.

"Who is this?"

Sam Smith, his private investigator, shrugged. "His name is Bill Carter, he is known for picking up women tourists. Your wife ever mention him?"

"Never. She took a few days to take some time and space. She wouldn't of…Max wouldn't cheat on me. She wouldn't do this to our family."

"These were taken at the bar she went to with them. I met him there, he was with a leggy blonde. Claims he hasn't seen her since that night, when she told him she was married and pregnant. I have my best guy on him."

**8888888888888888**

"You're fun," Samantha sighed, rubbing up against him. "You want to take me for a ride?"

He smiled, as he opened his door for her. "Come on, Baby."

**8888888888888888**

"I'm 18, Mom," Zach stated, tossing his clothes in the bag. "I'm going to go find her. I should of talked her out of this to begin with."

"You can't just leave," Jill stated. "Zach, you don't even know where to start looking."

"If she's still in San Francisco, she's too screwed up to move again. She's doing cocaine, sleeping with guys for it. I know where to look."

"Then we tell the police. If you don't want to tell Michael's private investigator, we'll tell Kenny's. He doesn't hate you."

"What happened to Max?"

"That's what…we don't know," Jill said quietly.

**8888888888888888**

"We so deserve to be happy," Michael said, rubbing her stomach. "You're so beautiful, Caroline. Dance with me."

Max let him pull her to her feet. Looking down at the sequined cocktail dress, Caroline wore this…I have her jewels on, her wedding and engagement rings, made up, my hair is like hers…I'm not her.

"You're mine," he whispered, starting to unzip the dress. "I want you right now."

She winced. "It's bad for the baby."

"Caroline," he whispered, letting his lips brush over hers as she stiffened.

**8888888888888888888**

"Jimmy?" Skeeter asked. "Michael's lawyer was John Taylor?"

"I know that all too well," Jimmy stated, thinking of his son flying back to California. "Why?"

"Firm of Taylor, Yale and Johnson? He bought the Adelson warehouse."

"The abandoned one in Harper's woods?"

He nodded. "Lots of renovation work too…why does he need a warehouse?"

Jimmy didn't like the gnawing in his gut. "Michael Richardson was staying at the Starlight? That's not too far."

"He had an alibi for when … when Max went missing."

"His son's doctor…represented by the same firm."

"What would he want with Max?"

"Nate's in a coma, Samantha is still missing…He wants her baby."

**8888888888888888888**

Save myself, Max thought, staring at the heaping pile of food in front of her. I eat, pass out, and he's dressed me up in another one her outfits. Fake it. Get the key…run. No one knows where I am. Okay, Kiddo, we're getting out of here.

**888888888888888888**

Zach walked carefully down the street. Pausing outside the old apartment, he crinkled his nose at the smell. Pushing the door open, he froze. People, he thought, looking at the carnal acts going on in front of in…she can't be here. She wouldn't do this.

"Samantha?" he whispered. "Sweetheart?"

"What are you doing here?" she sighed, rolling off of the other guy. "Thought you went home with Mommy and Daddy."

"I did. I came back to find you."

"I'm not going back."

"Nate's alive."

**888888888888888888888**

Max laid there and closed her eyes, after faking eating the food. Hold on, Kiddo, just a little longer. Your Dad won't give up on us. He won't…Kenny. Forcing herself to lie still, she heard the door sliding back.

"Oh, Caroline," he sighed, sitting on the bed. Stroking her hair, he let his hands drift over her body. "As soon as you have this baby…we'll go about fixing you. Your face, I know your whore sister made you do this. You'll be my beautiful wife again."

Son of a bitch, Max thought, gripping the sharpened plastic spoon in her hands. I hate you for what you did to Caroline. To your kids, to me. I am not her.

"I love you," he murmured, kissing her, as she sat up and jammed it into his neck. "Caroline!"

"I hate you!" she screamed, rolling off the bed and onto her feet. Kicking him in the groin, she grabbed the key from his hand. "I am not Caroline!"

Sprinting the best she could in her condition, she opened the panel and stumbled out into the other rooms. Locking it behind her, she her him screaming and pounding on the wall. Freezing she stared at the rooms. Like their house…Are we in Boston? No, there aren't any windows. He rebuilt it. Rubbing her stomach, she ran.

**88888888888888888888**

"Damn," Jimmy said, as they watched the traffic camera from outside the warehouse. "He's been there a lot…wait."

"That's when Max went missing," Skeeter said, watching the SUV pull up. "Oh, god."

Jimmy sucked in a breath, as they watched him carry a pregnant Max into the warehouse. "Get a team together. No one says anything to Kenny. We don't know what we're going to find in there."

**88888888888888888888**

"You're lying!" she cried, shoving him away. "He was dead."

"No…My Dad, Kenny and Max, they went to Colorado. Dad and Kenny found him, where we left him…He's in a coma, they cut a leg off. He needs you."

"You're lying!"

Zach shook his head. "Max is missing too. Kenny came home, the kids were locked in the bathroom and…You need to come with me."

"Dad did something to her."

"He has an alibi, he was with Nate."

"No!" she screamed. "Nate, he isn't! Why are you lying to me? I can't go back there!"

"You want to stay here? I love you. Come home with me."

**88888888888888888**

"Oh no, not now," Max groaned, looking at the puddle at her feet. Steadying herself on the wall, as the first contraction ripped through her. "Oh, Kiddo, don't do this to me. Stay in, just a little while longer."

"Caroline!"

"Oh, crap," she breathed, hearing the footsteps pounding down the stairwell after her. Move, run.

**88888888888888888**

"Fan out," Jimmy said, as they entered the bottom floor of the warehouse. Be here, he thought, they're still practically my kids. Even is I don't approve of what they've done over the past few years.

Skeeter froze, as he heard a scream. "Did you hear that?"

**8888888888888888**

"No, no, no," she groaned, sliding onto the ground, as another contraction came. So fast, she thought, every time. Why can't I be like normal women and have this last for days. No, I refuse to have this baby now. I need to get out of here. Run. He'll kill me…or strap me to a table and make me into Caroline. What will he do with my baby?

"Caroline!"

No, she thought, no, staggering to her feet the best she could. Moving down another flight, she did her best to ignore the contractions. My baby, girls, Kenny, get out of here for them. Save myself.

"Caroline!" he screamed, as a bullet penetrated the wall next to her. "Don't make me hurt you!"

"I am not Caroline!" she cried, as he all but tackled her to the ground. "I hate you! Get off of me! God damn it!"

"Bitch!" he shouted, as her fist connected with his jawbone. "Caroline stop fighting me!"

Scrambling to her feet, she ran down another flight.

**8888888888888888888**

"Caroline?" Skeeter asked.

"Come on," Jimmy said, as they moved toward the voices. Be okay. I don't think Kenny could handle anything happening to her.

**888888888888888888888888888**

"Damn it!" she screamed again, doubling over at the contraction. My baby, please, not now! I can't have her here, he'll take her, I want Kenny when she's born. Not now. "Please, Kiddo, not now."

"Caroline," Michael hissed, lunging at her.

No, no, she thought, sticking her leg out and causing him to fall down the flight of stairs. Oh, god. Seeing him not move, she screamed again, at the contraction. Breathe. No one is going to help me. Breathe. You've done this before. Breathe. Okay, Kiddo, lets do this.

"Max?"

Her head shot up. No, no one is here. Breathe.

"Max, are you here?"

Breathe. "Stairwell! Damn it!"

"Max?" Skeeter asked, seeing his old friend collapsed on the floor. "Max? You okay? What's up with your hair? Crap, is that Michael?"

She leaned her head against the wall. "I'm in labor."

"Labor?" he repeated, looking at her sweaty and disheveled appearance. "Other then that? You're okay?"

"I having a god damn baby right now! I am not okay!

Skeeter gestured the others to the men on thestairs. "How far are your contractions apart?"

"A minute. Maybe. She's coming out now."

"Let me take a look," Skeeter said, hesitantly lifting her cashmere dress. "Oh, wow…I see a head."

"My baby has a head?"

"Max?" Jimmy asked joining them. Why is she blond? "Is she in labor?"

"And there is a head," Skeeter said. "We don't have time to wait for the paramedics, this kid is coming out now. You need to push on the next one."

"I want Kenny."

"He's with Emily and Lindsay."

She nodded. "They're okay? Nothing happened to them? Oh, God!"

"Push," Jimmy said, squeezing her hand. "Come on, Max. Push."

"I see shoulders," Skeeter said. "One more big one."

She leaned her head back against the wall. "Don't let him take my baby. It's coming."

"Oh, Max," Skeeter said, staring at the red, slimy and screaming thing in his hands. "Congrats, Mom. You had it right, you got a gorgeous daughter here."


	9. Chapter 9

"She's okay?" Kenny asked. "She had the baby? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You're thinking like a husband and not a cop," Jimmy said. "I wasn't sending you in after her, guns blazing."

"She's okay?" Kenny asked. "Where is she?"

"Sleeping it off. She had a beautiful baby girl, like she thought. Michael broke his pelvis and has a concussion, Kenny," Jimmy said. "He renovated the whole top floor to look like his house in Boston, he dressed her up in Caroline's clothes and jewelry, he dyed and cut her hair like hers…She was pretty far in labor when we found her. I don't know how she's going to be when she wakes up."

"But she's alive, had a healthy baby, she's home…she'll be okay. She has to be okay. He dyed her hair?"

"It looks like he was trying to turn her into Caroline. She…she kind of looks like her."

Oh, Honey, he thought, I can fix this for you. "Where is she?"

**999999999999999999999**

"I want Mommy and Daddy," Emily pouted, crossing her arms n the couch. "Mommy said she would never leave me. She lied."

"Oh, Emily," Carol sighed, thinking of the hope she heard in Kenny's voice. "Your mommy loves you so much. Your daddy isn't going to stop until he catches the bad man. And your mommy? She won't stop trying to come home to you and Lindsay."

**99999999999999999999**

"The miss you. I missed you," Kenny said, overjoyed to see her and holding her limp hand. Blonde, he thought, she does look like Caroline with it like this. "Oh, Max, you had such a beautiful baby girl, you're really outnumbering me here, Honey. Oh, I missed you, whatever you need, want, I love you so much. The girls, my parents are here. I really don't think my mom trusts me to dress them, I don't know how you do it everyday…Oh, Max."

"Kenny?" she murmured, hearing his voice penetrating through. "Hmm."

"Max?" he said, as her fingers moved in his. "Honey? Oh, Max, I missed you."

She cracked her eyes open. "Kenny?"

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "You scared the crap out of me."

"Our girls?"

"Safe at home. With my mom…she's spoiling them rotten. They miss you."

She stared at him for a long moment. Home. I'm okay. Kenny, he's… "They were alone and…he didn't go back and…"

He sat on the edge of the bed, and took her hand in hers. "They're fine. Em is you, remember? She took all the cookies and juice from the kitchen and locked her and Lindsay in our bathroom. They're fine, Honey. No one hurt them."

"Kenny?"

"I'm here, Max. You're okay. You're home and safe."

"Our baby?"

"She's perfect. Tiny, they're going to keep her in observation because she was early, but she's gorgeous. Full head of red hair."

She reached up and pulled a hunk of blond hair into her view. "He wanted me to look like Caroline."

"You're not Caroline."

"He thought I was asleep, he was talking…after I had the baby, about fixing my face."

"There is nothing wrong with your face. I love your face."

"He wanted our baby."

"He'll never have her. He'll never hurt Lindsay and Emily. I'll never let him near you. Max, Honey, oh, I missed you. I love you. I would of never stopped looking for you. You got away, fought him, and you'll be okay. I love you."

She looked at their joined hands. Home. Kenny. I'm okay. "I love you too. Kenny, I… all I wanted was to come to home. I want to go home."

He combed through her hair, happy to have her in one piece. "I know, and I want you there. Come on, you just had a baby. You've been through something…Oh, Honey."

"I'm fine," she said, and wiped her tears. "I'm fine."

Let her believe that, he thought, she looks like she's going to break. Small, vulnerable, lost, she never looks like that. Feisty, stubborn, passionate, strong, smart, everything to me. Keep it light. "I know you are, Blondie."

She fingered her blonde locks again, and he was rewarded with a small smile. "That might be worse then Preggo. Can we cross those off the baby name list?"

"You're a bombshell blonde," he said. "A ravishing red head. We had some names in mind."

"I want to see her. I need to know she's okay."

He pressed his lips to forehead. "Let me see what I can do about that."

**9999999999999999999999999**

"I can't go back there," Samantha said. "I'm sorry. Nate is better off without me, and…I know Dad did something to Aunt Maxie. He was so mad at her."

"Talk to him then. If he did…You're his daughter, he'll listen to you."

"I hate him."

**9999999999999999999999999**

"Hi, guys," Jill said, wheeling the bed in. "I have something for you."

Max looked up, trying to ignore the numbness inside. My baby…I had her on the warehouse floor, Skeeter, he…Oh. "Oh."

"Oh, Max," Jill sighed, giving her friend a once over. "It is so good to see you."

She nodded, forcing herself to relax. I'm home, with my family and friends. Be normal. "It's good to be here."

"You two make beautiful babies," Jill sighed, handing her the newborn. "She's hungry."

Max gulped, as she held her less then a day old newborn. Tiny, look at that hair. "Is she okay? She was almost seven weeks early and... She's tiny."

"Her vitals are strong, everything is fully developed, she wanted out," Jill smiled, watching as Max gently stroked the newborns tiny fingers and Kenny wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Kenny said, as she slipped away. "What do you think?"

Max shook her head, as she let her began to feed. "She's tiny. Lindsay was early, but not that much. She's perfect…I was terrified. After Michael fell, the contractions…they were really fast. Then Skeeter and Jimmy came, and…they were great. She's so tiny."

"And hungry," Kenny smiled, as she leaned up against him. "I could watch you do this all day."

"You just like my breasts."

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. Blonde, he thought, I can't believe he did this to her…she's terrified. Oh, look at her, it's the first time I've seen her smile all day. "Yeah. They're great."

Max looked down at their daughter. "What should we name her?"

**9999999999999999999999999**

"Where is Caroline?" Michael demanded. "Is our baby okay?"

Insane, Jimmy thought, he is insane. Thinking of Max lying crumpled in that hallway, giving birth, he was going to keep them in that fake house he built. "Caroline is dead. Dressing up your sister in law like her isn't bringing her back."

"Maxine is a dirty cunt, and I won't have her around our baby or my wife."

Insane, Jimmy thought again, I should go check on her. "You'll never have that baby."

**999999999999999999999999**

"Mommy?" Emily said, as they stood with Carol in the doorway.

"Mommy!" Lindsay shrieked, running to the bed. "Mommy, up!"

Kenny smiled, as he lifted their two year old up on the bed and she threw herself into Max's arms. "Be gentle, Lindz."

"Oh, Sweetie," Max sighed, squeezing her tightly, and smoothing back her long red hair. "Oh, look at you. I missed you so much. I love you so much. I know your daddy took such good care of you."

"Mommy!" Lindsay cried again, as she held on tighter. "Mommy, don't go!"

"Em?" Kenny said, looking at their older daughter, still standing with her grandparents. "Hey, Monkey-Girl, what's wrong?"

"Mommy?" she asked again. "Mommy, your hair looks funny."

"Oh, Em," she sighed, choking back her tears. "I know. Oh, Emily."

"You left!" Emily sobbed. "Mommy, don't leave!"

"Em," Kenny said, crossing the room to her and crouching down to her level, her tears breaking his heart. "Mommy isn't going anywhere. The bad man isn't coming back. You're safe. Mommy's home."

Max swallowed back her tears, as she watched Kenny carry her over to the bed and sit down. My baby, he did this to my baby…my fearless, reckless, Monkey-Girl. "Oh, Em, I'm so sorry."

"Mommy!" she cried, throwing herself at her like Lindsay and holding on.

Kenny slid off the bed, and walked to his parents. "Thanks for bringing them."

"They missed their mother, Kenny," Carol said, watching her grandchildren with their mother. "Is she okay?"

"She will be. He…he messed with her pretty badly. Max is strong, more so then I give her credit for sometimes. Just…give her some space."

"She looks lovely as a blonde."

"Like her sister. That's what he was going for."

**99999999999999999**

"How are they?" Jimmy asked, nodding toward the room. "The baby is okay? Max?"

"Physically, Max is fine. She's going to need some time, Jimmy," Jill said. "Kenny's parents brought the girls. The baby is tiny, but healthy."

"She's practically my daughter."

Jill smiled at that. "Let her have time with her kids. I'm sure she'll appreciate a visit later."

**99999999999999999999**

"Max?" Kenny said, watching as Lindsay sat on her lap and Emily pressed to her side. A smile, he thought, watching her with them. "Hey, you want to introduce our latest addition?"

She looked up, feeling oddly contented. Home, my kids, my husband, safe. We're all safe. Not Samantha or Nate…be happy for now. Look at my girls. "Yeah. Em, Lindz? You want to meet your baby sister?"

"Can I hold her?" Emily asked. "Can I have a baby?"

"Not for a long time," Kenny said, lifting the baby up slowly and settling back down on the bed. Smiling at Max, he was glad to see a light in her eyes. "Mom, Dad, Emily, Lindsay. This is Chloe Lacos."

"Oh, Kenny," Carol sighed. "Max. Oh, she's beautiful."

"Here," Kenny said, handing her the baby. "Yeah she is. Takes after her mom."

Beautiful, she thought, he makes me feel that way. Happy, he's so happy right now. Laying her head back on his chest, she watched his parents with Chloe. Feeling him trail his fingers through her hair and looking at her girls in her arms. My family, this is my real family, the people who love me.

"Emily, Lindsay," Carol said, handing Chloe back. "Look at your little sister."

"Baby," Lindsay said, hesitantly touching her. "So little."

"Gentle, Em," Max said softly, watching her oldest daughter closely.

"She's pretty, Mommy," Emily said. "Mommy? Why is your hair funny? I don't like it."

"Me either," she said, still feeling Kenny's fingers tangled in it. "I don't think Daddy does either. I'll fix it later."

"Daddy loves everything about Mommy," he murmured in her ear. "Even the blonde hair."

"Can I do it to my hair?"

"Oh, Em, you're perfect," Max said, smoothing back her long and dark hair. My exhausting child because she's me. The one who bounces off the walls, jumps off of swings…crying, clinging to me, I'm never leaving her again. "I love your hair."

"Can we stay here with you?"

"We need to let Mommy get some rest," Kenny said. "She's going to stay here with Chloe, and come home tomorrow."

"No, I want to stay," Emily said. "Mommy, please?"

Yes, stay, I'm never leaving you again. I don't want to be alone here. No, they can't, they need their own beds and things. No, they need me. I need to be okay for them. "Emily, I need you to do me a big girl favor. Can you do that?"

She nodded. "Mommy?"

"Can you help Daddy? I know your grammy has probably been picking out your clothes. Can you help him find something for your sister to wear tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Sparkles?"

Max nodded, feeling herself getting choked up. "Whatever you want."

"A few bad outfits, and I'm branded for life," Kenny sighed, looking up at the knock. "Hey."

"Hi, Guys," Jimmy said, giving Max a thorough once over. Those kids are glued to her side. They don't understand, I don't think she really does. "How is the baby?"

Max looked up. "She's great…thanks to you and Skeeter. I don't think…Thank you."

"She's adorable," Jimmy said, looking at the newborn in Max's arms. "How are you?"

Numb, she thought. "I'm okay."

"I need to ask you some questions."

She nodded, looking at her girls again. They can't hear this, they're exhausted. Oh, I don't want them to go. "Okay."

"Em, Lindz," Kenny said. "Lets go get a snack. Chocolate ice cream. We can bring some back for Mommy."

"I want Mommy to come," Emily stated.

"Ah, Mommy isn't going anywhere until tomorrow," Kenny said. "Just a little awhile. Come on, Lindz."

"Mommy?" Lindsay asked.

She hugged her. "I'm not going anywhere. It's okay, Lindz."

She's good at this, Jimmy thought, watching her with the kids, she's really good at this. Mommy and Daddy.

"Daddy, stay with Mommy, in case the bad man comes back.," Emily said, running to her grandparents.

Max felt her heart break in that minute, she's that scared. Seeing Jimmy nod slightly, she swallowed back her trepidation, as she watched her girls leave. They're okay. They're safe. Handing Chloe back to Kenny, she took a long breath. "Okay."


	10. Chapter 10

"Max?" Jimmy asked, seeing the concern all over Kenny's face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," she said. "Maybe not good, but…okay. I don't…he wanted me to be Caroline. He renovated that place… made me wear her clothes, he had…oh, my god."

"Max?" Kenny asked, seeing her pale. "You okay?"

"He…he brought this guy in to dye my hair. He had a gun to his back…Oh, God, did he kill him?"

"We didn't find a body," Jimmy said. "What did he look like?"

"Terrified. Tall, probably six foot. Slender, dark hair. He didn't say anything, just did this," she trailed off, flicking a piece back. "Did he…I didn't even think about him. He had to of."

Jimmy nodded, carefully watching the way Kenny squeezed her hand. He's going to take care of her. "That warehouse…We're searching it top to bottom, I'll look at the missing person reports. He wanted to keep you looking like this? He might have kept him alive."

She gulped, pushing back the blonde hair. "He was talking…after I had the baby…plastic surgery. He wanted me to be her and…Oh, god."

"It's okay, Honey," Kenny murmured, feeling the tension. "Deep breath."

"He put me in her wedding dress…just so many…it was creepy. He wanted my baby. He's…Oh, God, what was her life like?"

"He snapped," Kenny said, not sure if he really believed it. Did he, she hasn't said…she was pregnant, she couldn't of fought him, no, she got away, she ran, she saved herself. "Max, he…Your sister, she was pretty smart, she would of…Oh, Honey."

"I'm fine," she said, wiping her tears away. "No, I am…it's hormones."

"Did he assault you?" Jimmy pushed. "In any way?"

"He hit me a few times, jammed his tongue down my throat…I told him….sex would hurt the baby. He believed me. He really wanted the baby."

**101010101010**

"I called my Mom. Dad is still really mad," Zach said. "At me, Kenny and Max."

"I want to live with them," Samantha said quietly. "They were really good to us and…they're going to hate me. Nate is going to hate me."

"No he won't. Max had the baby. They found her…Your Dad did…Mom said, she got away and stuff…but he dressed her up like your mom and stuff."

Samantha looked up. "What?"

"Like your mom. I guess she's kind of freaked out and stuff."

**10101010101010**

"You okay?" Kenny asked, as they sat in their driveway late the next morning. "Honey?"

She looked up, twisting her hands in her lap. Home, she thought, looking at their cottage. So much as happened here…I remember when we bought this place, gutted it, renovated it together. "Yeah. I'm numb."

He looked back at Chloe. "I know. I'm here, okay? Anything, Max, anything you need. Just tell me, even if it's to back off."

"Be overprotective for awhile."

"Remember you said that."

"I'll be okay."

He looked over at her, dressed in gray sweats, purple camisole, and a sweater coat, with that blonde hair braided down her back. "I know you will. You're too stubborn to have it any other way, Blondie."

"Don't call me that."

"Okay," he said, seeing her tense up. Don't push her. "You ready to bring Chloe home?"

**10101010101010**

"Aunt Maxie isn't like Mom," Samantha sighed. "She and Uncle Kenny fought sometimes…it wasn't like my parents. It was so obvious….you know that loved each other and stuff."

"Matthew walked in on them fooling around in the bathroom and their rehearsal dinner."

"I'm scared. What if they hate me?"

**10101010101010**

She is perfect, Max thought, watching Chloe as she fed and rocking in the chair in the makeshift nursery. Our last one, she's so…I love her already. No one is ever going to hurt her. "She's almost done."

Kenny leaned on the doorjamb, watching her. "You coming to bed after that? I missed you in there."

She nodded, listening to the silent house. The girls asleep, his parents in Samantha's old room…just us. "Yeah. That'll be good. Okay, Kiddo.'

A natural, she has been since the beginning, he thought. Even if she lingers over the crib, she's been through a lot. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked down at their new daughter. "She's perfect."

"She came out so fast."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. Max, I…I would of."

She shook her head. "They didn't tell you what was up because they know you. You can't…you can't think with your head when it's me. It's more…It's you and me. It's different, I get it now."

"You, the kids, Max, I…"

"I know."

"Come to bed."

**1010101010101010**

"Dad?" Zach said hesitantly leading Samantha inside the house. "Hi."

Jimmy stared at his son and girlfriend. "What is going on? Do you have any idea the trouble that you've caused?"'

"Dad!"

"I'm sorry," she practically whispered. "I thought…Nate is okay? Aunt Maxie?"

"We're not sure where Nate is. Your Dad has him in a clinic. Your Dad? Kidnapped your aunt and tried to turn her into your mom. She's pretty shaken up. She had her baby seven weeks early. Your cousins are traumatized over this."

Samantha wiped her tears away. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to go with my dad."

Thinking of his deputy lying in the stairwell, in labor, looking small and vulnerable in the hospital. Her kids clinging to her. The videos from that warehouse he took…he messed with her pretty badly. "I know."

"Do they want me back?"

"I know they do."

**1010101010101010**

Max gripped the edge of the sink, as the images rushed through her mind. His hands on me…Caroline…No. I'm home. Taking a steadying breath, she raised her eyes to the mirror. Gulping, she wrapped her hair in a bun, so she wouldn't have to look at it. Safe. Home.

"Honey?" Kenny said, knocking on the door. "You alive in there?"

She opened the door, forcing herself to be normal. Seeing the concern all over his face, she forced a smile. "Yeah."

Liar, he thought, wrapping his arms around her. "Listen, I'm a crummy cook. Mom made waffles."

"How long are your parents staying?"

"Dad has to go back to work…My mom is here for as long as we need. I'm surrounded by women."

"I'm sorry about the tea parties and unicorns."

"Nah, I like fake tea. I'm turning Emily into a jock."

"She'll love it. She'll probably want to play football."

"Mommy are you sad?"

Max looked up, reluctant to move from Kenny's arms. Seeing Emily watching them, she offered her oldest a smile. "How can I be sad? I'm here with you and Daddy."

"Ah, come here, Princess," Kenny said, finally releasing Max, as Em ran to them. Scooping up the four year old, she squealed in delight. "Come on, lets go eat."

**1010101010101010**

"I want to see my dad," Samantha said finally. "He'll tell me where Nate is."

Jimmy looked at her blue hair, track marks on her arms and the way she kept wiping her nose. "What drugs are you on? Don't lie to me."

"Uh…cocaine. I tried heroin."

"I'm not sending you anywhere until you're clean."

**1010101010101010**

"Where is my wife?" Michael demanded, as Skeeter followed Dr. Mott into the hospital room. "My baby?"

"Max did have a beautiful baby," Skeeter thought, thinking of the infant he delivered two days ago. "They make good looking kids."

shot him a look, wary of being in the same room with Michael. "They do. How does your pelvis feel?"

"I want Caroline."

Skeeter jumped up, as he pulled Dr. Mott onto the bed. Running in closer, he gasped at the fist hitting him in the gut. Michael pulled the gun from his holster and fired.

**1010101010101010**

"You tired them out," Kenny murmured, joining in on the couch, as she nursed. Looking at a sleeping Emily and Lindsay. "Reading is that tiring?"

"They're exhausted," Max said quietly. "Physically, emotionally, all they know is I vanished, I'm back…they don't know what to think."

"I don't think they're ever leaving your side again."

"I don't want them too."

"She done?" Kenny asked. "Want me to take her?"

No, she thought, looking at the sleepy infant. I never want to let go. He's so great. "Here."

"She's tiny," Kenny said, shaking his head, cradling Chloe. "I always forget how little they are."

Max smiled as she watched her big and strong husband with their two day old daughter. Home, safe, he won't let anything happen to them. To me.

**10101010101010**

"What?" Jimmy said, as he arrived at the hospital. "You have got to be kidding me."

"There were shots, Sir," Pete said. "Skeeter and Dr. Mott are in there."

"With Michael Richardson?

"He wants his wife and baby."

Max and Chloe, he thought, thinking of the trauma he saw her face. My deputy, in there. "Get me a line into that room."

**101010101010**

"Please," said, as she did her best to stop Skeeter's bleeding. "He needs to go to surgery."

"And I need my wife and daughter," Michael said. "Uncuff me from this bed. What is that?"

"The phone," he said, pressing into his shoulder wound. "Stay with me."

"What do you want?" he barked.

"Michael," Jimmy said, as the continued to evacuate the floor.

"Sheriff. You bring me Caroline and our baby."

Max, in Caroline's clothes, make-up, the hair, Jimmy thought, screaming in pain, in labor…I can't…No. "I need some time to find her."

"You might want to hurry, a man is dying in here."

**10101010101010**

Kenny glanced back toward the living room, after talking lowly with Jimmy. I can't ask her…how can he? He just saved her life.

"Let me talk to her," Jimmy said. "I know she's been through a lot."

Glancing back again. "Yeah, hold on. Max?"

She looked up, from where the girls were yammering excitedly to her. Something is wrong, she thought, trying to get a read off of him. "Yeah?"

"I need to borrow you for a second," he said. "Mom, can you?"

"Go," Carol said. "They'll be fine. Mommy and Daddy need to talk for a minute."

"Mommy," Emily cried, hugging her. "I want you."

Max hugged her back. "I need to talk to your dad. Boring grown up stuff. Can you tell Grammy about the elephants?"

"Okay."

"Hey," he said, reluctantly handing her the phone. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"It's that bad?"


	11. Chapter 11

"No," she trailed off, steadying herself on the counter. "He wants my baby?"

"Max," Jimmy said, hearing the trauma in her voice. "Yes, he's asking for Caroline and the baby."

"He can't have her."

"Of course he can't. He can't have you either. I need you to talk to him. He thinks you're Caroline."

She felt Kenny's arms come around her, practically holding her up. "I can't…he…no. I can't do this."

"Skeeter is bleeding out on the floor."

He saved me, delivered my baby, her mind raced. My friend. Kenny's partner. He did this to me…no. I can't. I can't leave my girls again. "What?"

"One phone call. You can do it. I know what he did to you."

Deep breath, focus. Don't let him destroy you. For my girls. Kenny, he won't…One phone call. It's how it starts. "Okay. When?"

**111111111111111111111111**

"What?" Zach said. "Mom! I have to tell her."

"She's detoxing," Jill said. "She doesn't need this."

"You haven't even told Kenny and Max."

****111111111111111111111111****

Kenny watched her for a long moment, as they waited for the phone ring. Her head in her hands, barely keeping it together. "Max."

She looked up, fighting back her tears. "I don't want to do this."

"I know."

"I can do this."

"You can do anything."

"Don't go?"

"I'm never leaving you," he promised, keeping his arms around her. "I got your back."

She bit her lip, as the phone rang. "Okay. Hello?"

"I'm going to patch you through," Jimmy said, hoping he doing the right thing. "Max, you ready?"

No, she thought, gripping Kenny's hand. "Yeah. Do it."

"Caroline?"

She physically winced, sinking into Kenny. Do it. Skeeter just delivered Chloe. "Hi, Michael."

"Oh, where are you? Where is our baby? I need you."

Stick to the story. "I'm safe. I needed to get away for awhile, for the baby. Michael, what's going on? Why are you doing this?"

"I need you. Bring our baby."

Max gulped, thinking of Skeeter possibly dying. No, I can't. "I can't. The doctors won't let me leave. Michael, come to me. Let those people go, and come to me."

"No! You get here now. We're leaving. You have two hours, Caroline, or you'll regret it."

"Hello?" she asked, the dial tone. "Michael."

"You're not going anywhere."

She looked up at him. "How can I do nothing? It's my fault."

"It's his fault. He kidnapped you. You're not leaving this house," he stated, as the phone rang. "You're barely functioning. Do not move. Hello?"

"How is she?" Jimmy asked.

Shaky, pale, lost, he thought, actually thinking of doing this. No, she's a wreck, She just had a baby. "Oh, she's been better."

"Two hours isn't a lot of time. He's bleeding out."

"You are not sending her in there. She's…not this time."

"Kenny?" Max asked softly, her voice cracking. "He's our friend. I can't let him die."

"And I can't let you die," he stated. "I just got you back."

My overprotective, coddling, husband, who I love more then my own life. "He won't hurt me. He had two weeks to. He wants Caroline."

"You are not her."

She pulled out her hair elastic, letting her hair fall out. "I can be."

****111111111111111111111111****

"Michael has a restraining order. I know what he did to Max, but it's still valid. She can't go there."

"But it's where she wants to go," Zach stated. "He kidnapped Max."

"They all need time to sort it out."

****111111111111111111111111****

"Max, forget it," Kenny said, standing up and looking at her, after they hung up. "I'm putting my foot down on this one."

"He's your partner."

"And you're my wife."

"The guy that was my partner, the guy that I love, would do anything to help his friend."

"Not serving you up on a silver platter. What are you doing?"

"I told him I'd talk to him again," Max said pacing the length of the kitchen. "If he needs to see me, her, Kenny…Do you really think I want to go back in there? That I want to see him? That I don't want to spend all day here with you, our kids, our newest kid. How can I live with it?"

This is why I love her, he thought, even if I hate this. Passionate, reckless, she's traumatized, just had a baby. "Damn it, Max."

"I'm not okay, I think you know that. I need you right now."

He tossed her a coat. "I don't like this."

I don't want to do this, she thought. I want to cuddle with my girls, bond with my baby, be with Kenny, get on an even keel. "Let me go tell them."

**111111111111111111111111**

"What's this?" Max asked, as Jimmy handed her a bag. Ignoring the prying eyes, she longed to sink back into Kenny's arms, go home, my baby. No, my friend. I can do this.

"Caroline's clothes. He had closets full of them," he said, taking in her sweat pants, fleece, winter boots and pony tail. "You won't pass for Caroline like that."

She froze. "You want me to wear this?"

"He wants you to be her."

She shuddered, taking the bag. I'm me. Kenny is worried. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Talk him down. Be his wife."

"He wants my baby."

Jimmy looked at his deputy, former deputy, he thought, carefully. Trauma, he thought, that's what all over her face. Stubborn, determined, but she is severely traumatized. Looking over at Kenny, and he is not happy. "That'll never happen, Max."

She shuddered, trying not to think about the last two weeks. "Where can I get changed?"

Jimmy pointed to the bathroom, and then waved Kenny over after she left. "She'll be fine."

"Max is so far from fine right now. Caroline's clothes? Do you know what this is going to do to her? You want to send her in there, he has a gun, he thinks she's his dead wife, did you see her expression? Do you have any idea what she's…She shouldn't be doing this. Whoa."

Jimmy followed his gaze, to Max coming out of the bathroom. She does look like her sister.

Curvier, he thought, after just having a baby, I really like her with some more curves. All that blonde hair, the make up, heels, she is a bombshell blonde, Kenny thought. If she didn't look like she was going to burst into tears. Support her. Be there for her. "Hey, Honey."

She looked up at him, fighting the urge to through herself at him. "Don't look so worried."

"Right back at you."

"Here," Jimmy said, handing her a gun, thinking she was probably the last person who should have one at that moment. "You still with us?"

She nodded, trying not to think of her friend dying in there. "I'm ready."

"Max."

She turned back to her husband, wishing she was home. "I'll be okay."

Liar, he thought, she's about to have a total mental breakdown. No, be strong for her, she needs to know I believe in her. "I know you will be. You can do this, Honey."

She nodded, still fighting the urge to flee. Go home. Be a mommy. A wife. Nothing else. Hide. No, go save my friend. "I love you."

"Ah, Max," he said, his heart breaking into a million pieces. "Love you too. It'll be okay."

"I'm ready."

****111111111111111111111111****

"Caroline," Michael breathed, as she walked into the room. "Where is our baby?"

"I couldn't bring her in here," Max said, forcing her voice to remain even and looking at his gun. "Not with that in here."

"You think I would hurt our child?" he asked, keeping his gun trained on Dr. Mott and Skeeter. "Come here, Caroline."

He's awake, she thought, seeing the bleeding shoulder wound. Keep him alive, get them out. He wants me. Standing next to the bed. "I'm here. It's just you and me. We don't need them."

"They're our ticket out. Get that wheelchair."

Broken pelvis, she thought, looking at the gun. I can't chance smacking him and have him start shooting. Slow, move slowly. Wait. Wheeling it close to the bed. "Where are we going?"

"To our baby and son. Your bitch sister nearly killed out kids. I want to kill her."

She gulped. Caro, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I can fix this. "I know she did. We'll go find them together. Where is Nathan?"

"When we get out of here."

Bad idea, Skeeter thought, watching his old friend groggily. I can't believe Kenny let her do this. She's shaking. Didn't I just deliver her baby? Caroline. "Hey."

Max shot him a look and willed him to stay silent. "Ignore them, Michael. We don't need them."

"I need you," he breathed, stroking her cheek. "Come here."

Max winced, as he jammed his tongue down her throat and touched her breasts. No, stop…pulling back, she stood up quickly. "We should get going."

"Wait," he said. "Where is our baby?"

"I'll take you to her," Max said, thinking of the tiny Chloe, home with her grandmother and sisters. Never, you'll never touch any of them. I'll kill you first. "Don't you want to go to her?"

"Caroline," he breathed. "Undress for me."

"What?" Max asked, thrown for a loop. "No, not here. Please…I just had a baby, I don't want you to see me all…flabby."

****111111111111111111111111****

"She's doing fine," Jimmy said, seeing how tense Kenny was.

"He had her for two weeks. She had a baby two days ago. She's hormonal and traumatized."

"Give her some credit."

"Oh, I give her all the credit in the world. She practically burst into tears when we left to come here. So did the girls, Emily is especially attached to her right now."

****111111111111111111111111****

"Lets just go," Max said softly. "We'll get the baby, Nathan, and start fresh. You have me, Michael, lets just go."

"Hold on," he said, aiming the gun at Skeeter and Dr. Mott. "Kill them."

"What?"

"I need to know you're really with me."

"If we kill them, the police with kill us. Just leave them alone," Max said, as he turned the gun on her. "What are you doing?"

"You're not betraying me again. I will kill you first."

She nodded. "I have the chair. We can go."

"Help me, Caroline," he stated, sliding into the chair. "Ow!"

Max jumped, as he waved the gun away from her and the hostages. One shot, I only have one. Kicking the chair from behind and causing him to crash onto the floor and send the gun sliding across the room. Hearing his scream of pain, something snapped, as she jumped on top of him and let her fists fly. "I hate you! You fucking son of a bitch! I hate you! You tortured my sister! For years! Helped murder my son! I am not Caroline, damn it! I fucking hate you!"

"Max?" Skeeter asked, watching his old friend pummel the other man in his blood loss state. "Oh, man. My partner is going to be pissed."

"You bitch!" Michael shouted, as she kicked him in the pelvis. "I'll kill you!"

"You can never have my baby!" she screamed at him, kicking him again, as the cops rushed in. Feeling arms lifting her away. "Let go of me!"

"Max," Kenny hissed, holding his hysterical wife back. "Max, it's over. Hey, look at me. It's done."

"Let me go!" she screamed again, fighting against his hold on her. "I hate you! Do you hear me? I fucking hate you!"

"Max," Kenny tried again, dragging her out of there. "Look at me. It's over. Everyone is safe. You're safe. Look at me."

"He wants my baby!"

"He can't have her," Kenny said softly, ignoring the chaos around them. "No one can hurt Chloe, okay? She's safe. You're safe. Come here."

"Let me go!"

"Oh, not a chance, Honey," he said, afraid of what she would do if he did. Pulling the gun from the waistband of her skirt. Handing to another deputy, he turned back to his wife. "You look at me. You're better then this, get it together. I love you, Honey, please come back to me."

Damn it, Jimmy thought, as Skeeter was rushed to surgery, as he looked at Max breaking down in Kenny's arms. She did go a little nuts. Watching Kenny talking to her softly and not letting her go, he felt guilty. She shouldn't of done this, she wasn't ready. Walking carefully over to them. "Max?"

Kenny shook his head, as she began to sob in his arms. She never cries, he thought, not like this. Shaking, clinging to me, scared. Meeting Jimmy's eyes again, he held onto her. "Come on, we'll go home, Honey."


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey, Honey," Kenny said, late the next morning, sitting back down on their bed. "How you feeling?"

She stared at him, letting the events roll through her mind. No. He's so worried about me. "Kenny?"

"Yeah, welcome back," he smiled, combing through hair. "You okay?"

She shook her head, twisting the sheet in her hand. "No."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Skeeter is okay."

"I'm glad."

Broken, he thought, as she all but flinched away from him. Oh, Max. "Want to get up? Hey, it's over. Done. You did great. I'm so proud of you. Hey, I won't let anything happen to you. Or our kids."

I love him, she thought, he's so worried about me. "Can you be overprotective for awhile?"

"That, I can do," he said, as she sat up. "Anything you want."

"Where are the girls?"

"Downstairs. They're fine. I told them you were feeling sick. They're drawing you pictures. Chloe is sleeping. No one is going to hurt our girls. I even dressed them and did their hair."

He was rewarded with a small smile. "Stripes and polka dots?"

"They have so many clothes. Want to go check it out?"

She pushed her hair back, hating the color of it. What he did to me…No, I'm home. Safe. "Yeah. Let me…I need to take a shower and stuff."

**1212121212121212**

"What?" Samantha asked. "I want to see my Aunt and Uncle. My dad did what? Where is Nate?"

"We're getting the restraining order lifted," Jimmy said. "I haven't told them yet."

"Why not?"

**121212121212121212**

Max stared at her reflection in the bathroom and choked back her tears. Running her hands over her milk filled breasts, and down her curvy post pregnancy body, she shuddered. Tugging at her blonde hair, I don't know this person. Turning away from her reflection, she stepped into the hot shower. Letting the water run over her, gulped back her tears again. Picking up the razor, she turned it over in her hands.

**121212121212121212**

"Your Aunt is a mess," Jimmy said, feeling guilty about yesterday.

"Because of my dad. I want to see him too."

"He's in the prison ward of the hospital. No one is in or out."

**121212121212121212**

"Honey?" Kenny said, knocking on the bathroom door a half hour later. "Max?" Feeling the trepidation, he jiggled the handle. Something isn't right. Knocking again. "Honey?"

"What?" she called, wrapping a towel around herself. Looking at the razor she threw across the room. No, I won't. "I'm just drying off. Is something wrong?"

He let himself relax, when she finally replied. "No, just…checking up on you."

Max watched her reflection again. I can fix this. My hair, I can dye it back. It's a few extra pounds that will come off in a few weeks. I can get through all of this. I want to be me. For my girls, for Kenny, for Nate and Samantha. Opening the door, she gave him a shy smile. "Really?"

Wet and in a towel, he thought, I love the post pregnancy curves…Wish they weren't temporary. She is a bombshell right now. A fantasy. "Don't act so surprised. Max, the towel doesn't hide anything. Your boobs are huge."

"I'm nursing. It's milk."

"You look amazing."

She wrapped her arms around him, knowing he always saw her that way. Unconditional, she thought, he loves me that much. "I love you. Can you do something for me?"

"Name it."

**1212121212121212**

"Dad! She's gone!"

"What?" Jimmy asked, as his son ran into the kitchen.

"Samantha, she took off!

**1212121212121212**

"Max?" Carol asked, sitting on the couch with her, as she fed Chloe. She does look lovely, she thought, even content with the new baby.

She looked up from Chloe. "Hmm?"

"She is such a pretty thing. You and Kenny make beautiful kids."

Max nodded, stroking the tiny limbs. "Yeah. She's the last. I really wanted to give him another son."

"Oh, Max," Carol sighed, her heart breaking at that. She makes Kenny so happy, even if he is worried about her now. "That…He loves these girls so much. And you. He talked about you for years, I knew you were the one for him, long before I met you."

"It took us awhile."

"Where did he run off to?"

"Oh, I want to fix my hair. He went to get stuff for that."

"You look lovely as a blonde."

Max looked back down at Chloe feeding. I don't feel like me like this... he hates it...I feel closer to Caro with it blonde though, I see how much we look like sisters with it this color. Where did the red come from, thinking of the long ago letter her mom sent. My real father? I can't deal with that right now. Maxine Lacos, that's who I am now. Who I want to be. "I can't…he was…I can't change what he did…I can change this."

Carol smiled and squeezed her daughter in law's hand. "You know we think of you like our own daughter? Kenny, you're back. What did you buy?"

"I wanted to make sure I got the right one," he said, looking over at Max feeding Chloe. "I didn't know there were so many choices."

She looked up at him, as someone knocked on the door. "Thanks."

"I'll get that," he said, watching her for a long moment. She'll get through this. Opening the kitchen door. "I don't think she's up for giving a statement right now."

Jimmy looked at him for a long moment, thinking of Max's breakdown yesterday. "That's not what I'm here for. How is she?"

"She's been better."

"Samantha here?"

"What?"

"Zach brought her back two days ago. She split. The restraining order. Is she here?"

"You're just telling me this? No, she isn't here."

**1212121212121212**

"Hi, Dad," Samantha said, standing in the doorway after the Deputy took a break. "Did you miss me?"

"Caroline?"

"No, Mom's dead, remember? You helped kill her, like you helped kill my cousin," Samantha said.

"I was just with your mother, we had a baby."

"Aunt Maxie had a baby."

"She's a whore."

"She gave us a home. I'd rather be on the streets then with you," Samantha stated, raising the gun she stole from the Brock house. Closing her eyes, she pulled the trigger.

**The End**

*****Taking a short hiatus, will write a sequel in a few weeks*****


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